yadda yadda, blog blog blog

Beach Wyatt

2011-07-15T12:15:00.000-04:00

This is, somehow, the only picture I got of Wyatt at the beach. I guess because once he woke up we went down and jumped in the water. I didn't really worry too much about pictures, more about having fun. Poor little fellow fell asleep just as soon as we got there. Pappy put his hat over his head so he wouldn't get too much sun and I covered the rest of him with Bob's shirt. He slept for almost two hours!

Oliver the ocean boy...

2011-07-15T12:10:00.000-04:00

Oliver absolutely did NOT want to get out of the water the entire time we were at the beach. If he'd had his choice he would have stayed in this little ocean pool all day and night. He was very brave - he went into the big waves for a while. Daddy was close by, of course. He was very excited about his life jacket. It had a rocket and an astronaught on it. He didn't wear it the whole time because sometimes he just liked to free-float. If we lived closer to the ocean Oliver would be a tan little surfer boy.

This is the sand bar between the waves and the pool.

Lagging...

2011-07-12T12:07:00.000-04:00

Obviously I have no time for anything since I haven't posted an update since mid-May. I'm sure I've been doing something but I can't really remember what.

I've been working on some crochet projects. I finally finished the blanket for Wyatt so I started another one for Bob's and my bed. This one will take a LONG time since it involves making 100 7X7 squares and then sewing them together. It's going to be pretty, though. I also made a few Peep bunnies for Easter and some dishcloths and other random stuff.

Oliver and Wyatt have been doing a little bit of school here and there. We're looking at putting Oliver in pre-K this year so we're "getting him ready" for that. I guess the thing I'm most worried about is making him sit still for hours at a time. Oliver is reading more and more. We really need to work on math skills but I just don't know where to start. Wyatt learned all the letters and their sounds so we moved on to reading simple words. He can read -op, -all, -at, -am, -an words as well as a few other ones on the "sight words" flash cards I got for Oliver. I'm sure if I wrote them out it would be a very long list. Not bad for a not-quite-three-year-old.

We went on vacation to Topsail Island the week before 4th of July. We were at the usual house but we went to a different spot on the beach where there was a sandbar that created a pool at low tide. The boys really enjoyed that pool! There were deeper spots where Oliver could float and the more shallow spots were perfect for splashing or scooting along on a boogie board. The boys really enjoyed playing with their cousins and are constantly asking when they'll see them again. In the evenings we hung out at the house with the family and were entertained by the antics of the children. Nanny got glow sticks and that was just fuel for the fire. Bob and I got a little date but discovered that our special restaurant had closed. We were disappointed but the place we ate was pretty good. I guess we don't have a reason to go to Wilmington next time we're at the beach. We'll have to find a closer spot to have our date. Overall it was a REALLY good time.

This past week we were all sick. Wyatt picked up something on vacation and brought it home for all of us to enjoy. It took us about a week to finally get rid of it but we're all fine now. I'm glad because as much as I don't like being sick, I like even less for the boys to be sick.

I can't remember anything really happening other than those things. I'll try to update more often so I don't forget any more stuff.

more zoo pictures

2011-05-19T10:33:00.000-04:00

Zoo pics from my birthday!

2011-05-19T10:22:00.000-04:00

more from graduation

2011-05-19T10:19:00.000-04:00

Bob and Bob Sr.

Sharing his "funny hat" with Wyatt.

Afterward we played in these stick houses.

Bob's graduation, May 7th

2011-05-19T10:16:00.000-04:00

Waiting to be seated...it was a loooong wait since he's a "W"

Accepting the diploma...

Congratulations from the boys

Very thoughtful...What's he going to do now?

playing outside

2011-04-28T19:25:00.000-04:00

in the end...

2011-04-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

there were still some eggs that couldn't be found. At least, we think there were.

They searched...

2011-04-25T13:47:00.000-04:00

high and low. Sometimes they didn't know where to look. Sometimes they were so close they could have touched it and still didn't see it.

The Easter(n) egg hunt

2011-04-25T13:44:00.000-04:00

The boys still call it Eastern instead of Easter...thus the "n" in the title. Once they got the go ahead they were off and there was no stopping them. They were grabbing eggs left and right!!

enjoying Easter breakfast!

2011-04-25T13:41:00.000-04:00

Including Easter bread, monkey bread, marshmallow animals in coco cripsy treat nests, strawberries, and cookies. They really enjoyed it...and so did I!!!

Wyatt's hives...

2011-04-20T19:29:00.000-04:00

This is what poor Wyatt's hives looked like a while back. He was so miserable and all I could do was put a cold cloth on them to try to make him feel better. I didn't have any Benedryl (actually still don't). I finally tried Claritin and he calmed down enough to go to sleep. Luckily they were gone in the morning. Poor little guy!

What Oliver made at school today

2011-04-20T19:13:00.000-04:00

Olivers class wove these little baskets and dyed eggs to put in them. He was very proud of himself for making such a nice little basket. As soon as we got home he ate the blue egg and shared the orange one with Wyatt (all by himself with no suggestions from me). The last picture is the candy he got from the pinata his class had today! Sounds like he had a lot of fun! Tomorrow we go back for the big school-wide Easter egg hunt. I can hardly wait!!!!

How wyatt fell asleep a few days ago

2011-04-20T19:10:00.000-04:00

handsome boys

2011-03-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

getting ready for pictures

2011-03-15T09:04:00.000-04:00

first day of school...

2011-03-02T19:21:00.000-05:00

Oliver and Wyatt started preschool today. They were very excited to carry backpacks (they have to bring a full change of clothes)...

They were actually ready to get there as soon as they woke up. I had no trouble getting them dressed, feeding them breakfast and getting their lunches ready. When we got there they didn't even glance back at me. They just ran right into their classrooms. One of the other mothers told me that Oliver was surrounded by little girls! They had snacks, played on a playground, had "circle time" and lots of fun activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday!

These are the lunch boxes I made for the boys. They insisted on the same design even though I gave them lots of choices. Unfortunately almost all the decorations fell off because I didn't use the right glue. I solved that problem by using hot glue when we got home.

Long update...some random stuff

2011-02-22T09:10:00.000-05:00

First let me say...I LOST 12 POUNDS IN FEBRUARY! I'm down to 123 as of today. Only 8 more pounds to go before I get to my goal weight of 115. I'm hoping to get to 120 by the end of February.

I've been looking around at schools for Oliver. He's reading (level 2 books!), writing all the letters and I've started him on simple math. After searching and looking at private schools, magnet schools, public schools...we decided to keep him out this year and start next year when he'll actually be 5. I'll continue to teach him here at the house and we're looking at a one-day-a-week preschool for him. Wyatt would also go to the preschool. I think Oliver will be more at ease if Wyatt is nearby. There's also a little girl that Oliver knows who goes to the school so if he does well with the one day we might add another day so he can be in the class with her.

Wyatt is learning all his letters and counting so well. He gets excited when he gets it right. It's fun to watch him. He likes his lessons even better when Oliver teaches him, though. Oliver is very patient with Wyatt when he's teaching him something. He'll say it over and over and over. Wyatt seems to pick it up faster from Oliver, too.

Wyatt is fully fully day potty trained. He's been having some night accidents lately but for a long time he was dry all night. He's really good about knowing when to go and doing it all by himself.

Bob got a promotion at work. He's now a Field Supervisor. That means he is in charge of the techs in Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte and Wilmington. About 10 guys, I think. He basically rides with them and makes sure they're doing what they're supposed to. The new job involves some travel and that kind of stinks but we're figuring it out. Luckily his travel days are mostly the days I am not working anyway so I didn't really have to change anything.

The boys are just getting so BIG. I can hardly lift Oliver anymore. He's almost 40 pounds! He's all muscle, though. Just ask him, he'll show you. Wyatt is almost as tall as Oliver - he's going to be huge - but he's still as skinny as can be. Some of his 2T pants are still too big around the waist.

The power in our bedrooms went out two nights ago and then yesterday my dishwasher and stove stopped working, and then the heater for the dryer (it would tumble the clothes but not dry them). We finally figured out (with the help of Duke Power) that some pin was bent or something and the main power wasn't connecting with some of the breakers (or something?) Anyway it got fixed and everything is working again. Thank goodness! I couldn't get anything done yesterday!

Pappy came yesterday to watch the boys while Bob and I went to school and work. The boys were so excited to see him. They weren't even shy! They talked about him all day and then when he got here they barely let him in the door. They wanted to talk to him and show him every toy in the house before he could even come in. I guess he wore them out pretty well because they were fast asleep when I got home. Thank you, Pappy!!

my play dough

2011-02-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

a little man...

by request - a mommy snake with two little boy snakes

a happy flower that Wyatt wouldn't put down.

Oliver play dough fun!

2011-02-09T09:25:00.000-05:00

Oliver made a popsicle and an ice cream cone...

He decided to try it...but luckily didn't actually lick it. ew!

This is Oliver with his first attempt at a snake. I was showing him how to roll the dough out so it gets longer and longer. Then he just kept going and making his snake longer and longer and longer. What fun! We did this for about an hour before they ran out of steam.

play dough fun!

2011-02-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

Wyatt started out being silly with the can...

then he made spaghetti so I made him some meatballs to go with it.

then churros...

and I think that was a snake. or maybe a bird? I can't remember now.

The tree...

2011-02-09T09:16:00.000-05:00

I don't think I posted these when it was finished. This is the tree that I made to cover Oliver's window. I spent hours and hours cutting out those leaves! There are five different colors in two sizes. After I cut them all out I had to lay them out and glue them together then figure out how to hang it. We ended up just sticking it to the wall with double-sided tape. Anyway, it keeps out the light and the cold so both boys sleep longer. Oliver has only been scared once since I hung it up. AND it looks pretty. There are little flowers and bugs on the leaves. At some point I'm going to make a hole with some owls in it for the trunk. Poor Wyatt doesn't really have anything to look at so I asked him what he wanted and he picked owls.

Look at my big guy reading!

2011-01-24T12:42:00.000-05:00

Oliver is getting better and better at reading. There are a lot of words that he knows by sight now. This is his new favorite book to read although he's really more interested in "reading" Bob's old comic books. He can get through a good portion of Hop on Pop all by himself.

number practice...

2011-01-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

Bob got this big whiteboard somewhere and I've been using it for the boys' school. Oliver was practicing numbers 1-40 by playing number bingo. He had a lot of fun but he was most excited about the chocolate chip cookie he got when he got a bingo.

This is Oliver practicing counting. I drew circles with numbers above and he had to put that many coins in the circle. He does really well with counting except that he always skips 15.

Snow Wyatt

2010-12-28T08:34:00.000-05:00

Snow Oliver!

2010-12-28T08:32:00.000-05:00

Wyatt...

2010-12-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

opening the box...

Wow! I never even thought to ask for THAT!

Happy boy

Oliver...

2010-12-25T10:51:00.000-05:00

Opening the box...

What is it?!?!?!

It's JUST WHAT I ASKED FOR!!!

it was a very Batman Christmas...

2010-12-25T08:39:00.000-05:00

the stockings...

2010-12-25T08:35:00.000-05:00

anticipation

2010-12-25T08:32:00.000-05:00

2010-12-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

decdorating our tree...

2010-12-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

Oliver picked out the Charlie Browniest tree on the lot. It was beautiful once it was decorated, though. I guess it's true what Linus said "I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe all it needs is a little love."

The boys with the finished product. They were so proud of themselves!

Wyatt and the candy dish...

2010-12-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

Wyatt really wanted a candy.

but Bob said no...poor guy.

Maybe if he stares at it long enough Bob will give him one.

No such luck, but he sat there for a LONG time looking at those candies.

oh my!

2010-12-18T10:35:00.000-05:00

Bruce and Dick...

Batman and Robin!

Letters to Santa...

2010-12-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

Wyatt couldn't decide what he wanted. He ended up asking for candy, a robin cycle and a robin jet. Those all go with the Imaginext Bat Cave we got them a while back.

Oliver knew just what he wanted - a Batmobile, a Bat Copter, and the Riddler. He wrote out all the words and even spelled "riddler" all by himself by sounding it out.

concentration!

After all the snow fun..

2010-12-07T20:59:00.000-05:00

Bob built a fire in the pit in the back yard. It was nice to go warm our frozen fingers. He had another treat in store, though...

marshmallows! We roasted a few over the fire before we headed inside for some hot cocoa.

Little piggies stick the whole giant marshmallow in their mouth at one time. I guess they liked their treat.

a SLED?!?!

2010-12-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Bob found a piece of cardboard that was big enough to slide the boys around on. We have a slight slope in our front yard so Bob took then down it a few times.

Oh, no! Man overboard! Wyatt wasn't holding on and when they started out he fell right off.
He wasn't upset, though...

He just jumped right back on and held onto Oliver...really tight.

more snow fun

2010-12-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

Here's Oliver throwing a snowball at me. See how nice and round it is? His aim could use work but the boy makes a mean snowball!

Here's Wyatt, mittens covered in snow, chasing me so he can throw it at me. I think we ran around the yard about 100 times.

The boys broke out a shovel and their wagon and filled it up with snow. I can't imagine why unless...

Wyatt just wanted a really comfy place to sit!

It snowed!

2010-12-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

Here are the boys all bundled up and ready to go out. Boy were they excited. They barely wanted to eat their breakfast before running out to play in the snow.

Once we got out there Oliver figured out how to make a really good snowball. After that all he wanted to do was throw snowballs at me. Bob disappeared very shortly after we went out.

Wyatt tried to make snowballs but the snow kept sticking to his mittens. Poor thing. He'd throw the tiny pieces at me anyway. By the time we went in I was covered in snow.

and eight tiny reindeer

2010-12-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

The finished product...

2010-12-07T20:34:00.000-05:00

Snowflake,

Cyclops Angel

Tree and Candy Cane

Mitten and Stocking

making ornaments

2010-12-07T20:31:00.000-05:00

I will first admit that these photos were STAGED because the boys helped me for all of about 30 seconds before they got bored with it. They did like playing with the cookie cutters, though. Anyway, these ornaments are made from cinnamon and applesauce. They take about 200 years to dry out (in the oven at 200 degrees) but they smell super nice.

a marshmallow roast...

2010-11-23T18:52:00.000-05:00

We got a fire going and roasted some marshmallows. Haha! The fire was made by my mom and the marshmallows are cottonballs on pipe cleaners. The boys had fun even though they didn't get to really eat their yummy marshmallows.

It's too hot! Blow on it!

It's not going to burn because it's not a reeeeeal marshmallow...or fire!

things I made today...

2010-11-19T10:57:00.000-05:00

pico de gallo...from scratch using Brenda's recipe. I left out the cilantro because Bob doesn't like it but I can definitely tell the difference. I might add just a leeeetle bit. Also, next time I won't use a WHOLE pepper for a small batch like this. TOO HOT! Oliver and Wyatt won't eat it.

applesauce again. I used up the last few apples to make this batch. We'll have to go to the market again next week to get more. The boys helped a little and they LOVE this stuff so it won't last long.

chili. I used real beans instead of canned (thanks, Allan) and it seems to be pretty good. I only tasted a tiny bite and that was before I added the onions. It LOOKS good, though, doesn't it? It smells wonderful. We'll have some when we come in from playing in the leaves - we'll be cold and it'll be warm. Perfection!

Oliver drew

2010-11-18T19:16:00.000-05:00

Oliver, Jasper and Wyatt...in that order

pajamie boys!

2010-11-18T19:14:00.000-05:00

raking leaves...

2010-11-18T19:10:00.000-05:00

I get so busy that I forget to post...

2010-11-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

Where to start? It's been almost a month since I posted. I don't know where the time goes sometimes.

After making applesauce and kale chips we moved on to bigger things. We made peanut butter brownies and then, with the same recipe, banana brownies. They both turned out DELICIOUS! I've been cooking a little more lately, too. Fajitas last night, chili, pasta with veggie sauce, all kinds of yummy healthy things. The boys still like to help and I let them as much as possible.

It's getting colder so I've been making a curtain for Oliver's little window. It's a 5'5" X 2'3" window that's right next to his bed. In the spirit of the "tree house bed" I am making it look like a tree. I spent four days cutting out leaves from 5 different fabrics and then drawing lines on them. Last night I glued the leaves together for the top of the tree. Today I cut out the trunk and roots. It's going to look SOOOO COOL.

Oliver has been doing reading practice and math practice. He's also learning days of the week and how to read a calendar. Every morning we look and find the day and then he counts the days in the month (to reinforce the numbers 1-30). More and more often he's reading things in stores, books, magazines, and on TV. I'm always amazed when he sounds out a new word but I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore. He's so stinkin' smart! He's still a really good helper and will do almost anything he's asked. He also does some things without being asked, like feed Jasper or take his dirty dishes to the sink when he's done eating. Oh, and the sleeping in his own bed! YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! He will sometimes lay in his bed with a flashlight and read books for 10 minutes or so before he turns the light off and goes to sleep...by himself! He's also going through a mean phase. I hope it's a phase anyway, he gets frustrated or angry and he yells mean things and/or hits. It broke my heart the other day when Wyatt came to me crying and said that Oliver doesn't like him. I think he's starting to realize now that his mean words make other people sad but it's a process. :-(

Wyatt has been learning letter recognition for W, O, M, A, B, C and D and counting numbers 1-5. Not just reciting the numbers like he's been doing but actually counting objects. He's really taken an interest in drawing lately and carries his little notebook and crayon everywhere. His favorite color is yellow and he'll mention it whenever he sees something yellow. He also knows the favorite colors of Oliver, Bob and me - and he'll be happy to recite those, too. He's a really good helper most of the time. He'll clear his dirty dishes to the sink, he dresses himself, he loves putting his shoes on. He's also fully potty trained!! He goes by himself, he even wakes up dry! I am hoping this is permanent this time and I won't have to buy any more training pants for him. Wyatt is such a happy little guy but when he gets upset he gets really upset. He'll throw himself on the floor and scream like a little banshee. I've learned to ignore it - if I do he stops faster. Afterward he's apologetic and snugly. In fact, he's snugly a lot more now than when he was smaller.

Bob's been working away at school. He's almost done with this semester and then one more semester! Too bad it's the hardest one. He has to take the "final" class next semester; the one where he writes one paper and then presents it to the entire history department. Luckily he'll have plenty of time to research while he's on the road with his new job. Once the two new guys start Bob will become area tech supervisor. That will mean that most of the time he'll work from home but occasionally he'll be out of town for a day or two. At least he won't have to crawl around on people's dirty floors as much anymore.

As for me, I still like my job at Sears. I am keeping up with housework a little better. I'm getting plenty of sleep and eating better so I have more energy to keep up with those boys. Nothing else much going on with me.

The making of Kale Chips

2010-10-20T12:01:00.000-04:00

Wyatt and Oliver ripped the leaves into bite sized pieces.

We tossed them in olive oil and then placed them on the baking sheet.

then we LIGHTLY salted them...as in..THAT'S ENOUGH, NO MORE, STOP SHAKING THAT!

The last stage...tasting!

2010-10-20T11:55:00.000-04:00

Oliver wasn't too sure he liked them. He ate a few but decided they weren't his favorite.

On the other hand, the boy who doesn't eat green veggies (most of the time) ate two bowls of them! He loved them!

Making applesauce Stages One and Two

2010-10-18T12:22:00.000-04:00

I peeled the apples and Oliver cut them up. He used a crinkle cutter since he was somewhat unsupervised while he was doing this.

Wyatt rinsed the apple pieces in the sink then we poured them into the pot...

Oliver stirred while Wyatt added cinnamon.

LOTS of cinnamon.

Stages Three and Four of applesauce

2010-10-18T12:13:00.000-04:00

The smooshing of the apples. Since we don't have a food processor that's big enough for all the apples we cooked (AND because it's way more fun) we used a potato masher. Both boys got a turn at squishing up the apples.

Then came everyone's favorite part - the tasting! They ate up what I gave them then ate another little bowl! I guess our first attempt was a success!!!

sweet boys reading together

2010-10-18T11:59:00.000-04:00

Sharing a book...

reading together...

teaching each other.

Now that Wyatt is two...

2010-10-15T12:39:00.000-04:00

I copied this list from a post I did about Oliver when he was two. I guess the link to the checklist doesn't work anymore but here's the list:

Yes! - Walks by him/herself

Yes! - Stands up from middle of floor without help

Yes! - Turns page of a cardboard book

Yes! - Shows a toy, body part, and/or clothing item when asked

Yes! - May say two or more words meaningfully and also uses gestures to communicate

Yes! - Jabbers expressively and imitates words inexactly

Yes! - Likes an audience; imitates ball play and other social games
Yes! - Chews most foods well; may want to feed self with spoon and drink from cup, with many spills

Yes! - Walks up stairs with one hand held, and creeps backwards downstairs (Wyatt walks down stairs like a big person)

Yes! - Likes to climb on, push and pull large objects or toys

Yes! - Stacks three or four objects

Yes! - May say five to ten words (a lot more than that!!)

Yes! - Points to one or more pictures in a book on request (one of his favorite games)

Yes! - Follows a series of directions, e.g., "pick up the book and bring it to me."
Yes! - Points to several body parts on self or doll (ALL of them!)

Yes! - Uses spoon and cup with little spilling

Yes! - Places edibles in mouth

Yes! - Able to run

Yes! - Begin jumping during play

Yes! - Completes simple three piece puzzle

Yes! - Sometimes uses two-word sentence, e.g., "more juice" or "bye-bye mommy." (he uses 4- and 5-word sentences)
Yes! - Imitates simple words immediately
Yes! - Follows directions easily
Yes! - Occasionally plays near but not usually with other children (he plays with other children all the time, especially Oliver. They love playing superheroes and often use teamwork to save the day)

Yes! - Likes to help a parent - imitates household chores

Yes! - Can undress completely, except for fasteners (and quite often does, much to my dismay)

Yes! - Temper tantrums may begin because of strong need for independence (so much worse than Oliver ever did

He can also count to twelve. He usually forgets four.

He says please, thank you and you're welcome. So polite!

He's not shy at all and will talk to anyone. He jumps right into new situations and loves meeting people.
He uses the potty all day long. Most of the time he just goes on his own and doesn't tell me. He's very independent! We're still using training pants at night.
His bedtime routine is bath, brush teeth then climb in bed. He doesn't want/need snuggled like Oliver did at that age (and still prefers). He rolls over and snuggles his dog or kitty and goes right to sleep most times. He does like to have someone nearby, though, so I usually sit on the edge of his bed until he's asleep. He still comes into my bed during the night but later and later so now it's usually between 3 and 5.
He's doing really well with colors, too. He knows red, yellow, blue, orange, green, purple, pink, gray, white, black. He has a bit of trouble with red sometimes, he calls it yellow.
He knows lots of shapes and is getting really good at the shape sorter and puzzles. He knows square, circle, triangle, heart, oval, rectangle, star, and diamond.

Wyatt had his 2 year checkup a few weeks ago and he was in the 20% for weight and the 70% for height. He's tall and skinny! He's a finicky eater. Not because he doesn't like food but because if he doesn't feel like eating, or doesn't feel like eating what I made then he just doesn't eat. There are things he'll eat one day but won't touch the next. I don't get him, but I guess he gets enough because he's just full of energy all the time.

So that's my little dude. He's an energetic, outgoing, smart and happy little boy!

how Oliver earns his allowance...

2010-10-05T10:56:00.000-04:00

He loads the dishwasher (seriously! I handed him the dishes and he put them in!)

and he's so HAPPY about it. I don't know if he realizes that it's work.

he washes up the table...

and he vacuums the living room. I have to help him get out of corners sometimes but he vacuums the living room and hall.

is that a COON?

2010-09-22T14:33:00.001-04:00

It IS a coon - out in daylight. Jasper kept barking and barking and finally I went out to see what he was so upset about (since he wouldn't come in the house) and this is what I found. The poor little guy only had one eye and he was kind of stuck on the fence. I don't know why he didn't go down the other side but Jasper was keeping him there very well. He was making cute little chirping noises but when I got close enough to get Jasper away he growled at me. Anyway, I got Jasper away from him and when I looked back he was gone.

The boys are ready for Fall

2010-09-14T10:14:00.000-04:00

Look at these handsome boys! We went out shopping last week and these are a few of the things we ended up with. The boys like wearing coordinated shirts, but not matching ones. I have tried to get them a few like these (same shirt, different color) so that when we're out I'll be able to keep track of them more easily. Anyway, they look absolutely adorable! They kept posing in front of the door, even after I was done taking pictures. They were giggling and pushing each other to try to get the other ones' rectangle (see them on the door?).

Oliver was being a robot in this picture, that's why his arms are down by his sides like that. He does this ALL THE TIME.

Oliver is so big now. He's sso thoughtful and a wonderful helper.

Wyatt is full of personality. He's always on the go and he's ALWAYS smiling!

words Oliver can read in a story

2010-08-24T20:23:00.001-04:00

Look
See
Jump
Jane
Dick
Spot
Puff
and
can
not
here
come
down
mother
help
go
away
play
baby

I'm very impressed!! We checked out "Go Away, Spot" (a dick and jane reader) from the library and Oliver is getting a lot better at sounding out words and figuring out sentences. So much so that I went out and got him his own Dick and Jane reader today.

Wyatt's first haircut

2010-08-21T08:46:00.000-04:00

We took Wyatt for his first haircut on Thursday, August 19th.
He wouldn't sit in the barber chair but he sat really well on Bob's lap.
The barber snipped and snipped and pretty soon all his beautiful little curls were gone.
Without his floppy hair he transformed from a baby to a little boy. What a handsome boy, too!

Maryland...

2010-08-06T08:44:00.000-04:00

Oliver making faces at Ilona. She would smile and wiggle when he did it. He really got a kick out of it. It looks like Anni was pretty amused, too.

This was just a random shot but I really like the way it turned out. He looks very pensive.

Digits and Wyatt sitting together. It looks like they're having a very serious discussion.

more from Maryland...

2010-08-06T08:38:00.000-04:00

craziest looking chicken ever...it looks like a Muppet.

The boys with papa bear.

the dish ran away with the spoon...or the Wyatt ran away with the Oliver

I'm sure this little boat had a name but I either didn't see it or don't remember. What I do remember is that it was right outside the merry millllllerrrrr's house. CREEPY! The boys liked the boat, though, and pretended to drive it.

Pictures from Maryland

2010-08-06T08:32:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I forgot to post these pictures. The boys and I had such a great time visiting Digits, Anni and Ilona.
This first picture is the one good one out of about 15 I took.

Oliver with Ilona.

We went to a little petting zoo and Oliver fed the goats. He thought it was funny that they licked his hand.

There was one little goat that was outside the fence and Oliver tried to make friends with him. The house in the background is the three little pigs house. There were all three (sticks, straw and brick). There were also lots of other fairy tale and nursery rhyme things.

I'm glad I took a break...

2010-07-24T12:19:00.001-04:00

I was cleaning today. My to-do list is a mile long and I'm behind on dishes and laundry and just about everything else. As I was folding clothes from the third load of laundry I'd done today I heard giggling from the bedroom. I went back to see what was going on - the laundry can wait. I'm glad I did! The boys had made a spaceship out of pillows and they were just getting ready to blast off. The boppy pillows are their seat belts and they are both driving. We flew to the moon and the Oliver explained how his space suit has a string on it so he won't float away. Then he showed me how astronauts walk on the moon - by jumping everywhere he went. We finally came back to Earth but the trip was so much fun.

The laundry was waiting for me when I came back and lunch still had to be made. It put us behind on naptime. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

Adventures at Second Creek...

2010-07-08T12:58:00.000-04:00

Wyatt wet head

Oliver searches for snails and crawdads

brave boys on an adventure

Wyatt splash

Adventures at Second Creek!

2010-07-08T12:53:00.000-04:00

We took the boys down to the river and let them loose. At first Wyatt was afraid of whatever algae or plant was growing on the rocks. It looked like hair and it was fairly long and slippery. He didn't like it one bit! After a while, though, he got used to it and he was off right beside Oliver. They splashed and threw rocks and chased Crawdads. What a fun time they had!!

What is it with boys? get your FINGER out of your NOSE!!

2010-07-08T12:47:00.000-04:00

more fun in Lewisburg...

2010-07-08T12:45:00.000-04:00

Mammaw all dressed up for church. What a lovely hostess she was! She cooked some fantastic meals (one of which I learned how to make) and kept the boys entertained.

The only good picture (out of about 30 or 40) of all the kids.

All the Walkup boys (that were at the house at that time). 4 generations!!

fun in Lewisburg

2010-07-08T12:30:00.000-04:00

Wyatt sitting with Pappy Lucian. Wyatt looooooves Pappy Lucian!

I don't know what Oliver and Pappy (Bob) were playing but they look like they were having a lot of fun.

Wyatt winding up for the pitch. The boys spent a lot of time playing catch with those balls.

The boys knocking Pappy (Bob) down.

lunch after the parade...

2010-07-08T12:26:00.000-04:00

Wyatt being a goob

This was either Oliver showing Angie a magic trick or Oliver trying to get out of the necklace after Daddy trapped him in it...lol. Either way Oliver really liked sitting next to Angie.

Handsome Bob!

Handsome Wyatt!

more parade pictures...

2010-07-08T12:22:00.000-04:00

Oliver started getting sleepy about halfway through. He was tough and stuck it out til the end, though.

Wyatt was all happy smiles!

Here's the weeee-oooooh face. Every time he saw a fire truck he'd make the siren sound and I couldn't resist taking a picture.

Here are Oliver and Eleanor checking out their buckets of candy. By the end of the parade they each had a FULL (to overflowing) bucket plus some in a box.

4th of July parade

2010-07-08T12:15:00.000-04:00

We went to Timothy and Angie's house to meet up with them before the parade. The kids (4 of them!) got a wagon ride down to the bridge where the parade would pass by.

Wyatt waved at everyone but he was especially excited when he saw a fire truck.

Oliver was so excited about getting candy thrown at him but still managed to wave and check out all the cool cars.

thanks for this, Bob...ew!

2010-06-26T13:10:00.000-04:00

Train museum

2010-06-26T13:08:00.000-04:00

This is the train we rode...it was a GREEN engine just like Oliver asked for.

Here are the boys flying pretend airplanes. It looked like they took a bunch of old car panels and put them on these consoles. There were lots of buttons and switches. The boys loved it!

Oliver asked if I was strong enough to push the train out so ...well needless to say I definitely wasn't!

the train museum in Spencer NC

2010-06-26T13:02:00.000-04:00

The boys were super excited to ride the train.

poor little sicky Wyatt

2010-06-26T12:59:00.000-04:00

what did you dooooooo?

2010-06-26T12:56:00.000-04:00

This is the carpet that was in the house when we moved in...it's ugly, not soft and slightly stained. it still smells a little like old cigarettes even after 5 or 6 shampoos and one visit from Stanley Steemer.

This is the even ickier carpet that was UNDER the carpet above. As you can see it's disgusting...there are stains everywhere.

This lovely mess is what was under that carpet. It's some kind of tar-based carpet glue. Needless to say a serious mess! It took some work and a lot of time but Bob finally got it cleaned up enough to walk on.

Here it is in the soaking/scraping process. As you can tell there are hardwood floors underneath. Eventually we'll have all pretty hardwoods in the hall and living room. It's going to take a LOT of work.

more new sheets...

2010-06-26T12:50:00.000-04:00

These are just plain tan but they matched the wall really well. They're the same micro-flannel as the others, though and they're so soft!

Oliver playing in the sprinkler

2010-06-25T14:59:00.000-04:00

This was at the end of the playing...when he realized that water wouldn't MELT HIS FACE...

this is what his face looked in EVERY picture I took until the last 10 or so. Poor guy! I wonder why he kept doing it if he clearly didn't like it.

Wyatt playing in the water...

2010-06-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

more Asheville pics...

2010-06-17T08:21:00.000-04:00

Hey look! There's Aunt Sandy!! We all had fun visiting and playing with Aunt Sandy

Aunt Rachael has some cool stuff at her house. Wyatt liked playing in the igloo tent.

We went to my grandparents house and Wyatt held Great Gramma's (Ramma) hand. He had just woken up so he was a bit groggy.

Oliver found the old blocks that we played with when I was a kid. He built a super big amazing castle!

fun with bubbles at Aunt Rachael's house

2010-06-17T08:10:00.000-04:00

Wyatt and Oliver convinced Aunt Rachael to get out the bubble machine. They chased the bubbles for a while but it was really hot so they didn't do it for long. They sure had fun, though!

It seems like there's never enough time...

2010-06-17T08:05:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted an actual update or cute story for a while. I barely have time to put some pictures up these days. The boys keep me busy and then there's work and taking care of the house and ...it's always something.

Wyatt has decided that he's potty trained. At least it seems that way. He's been dry for two days - he even woke up dry yesterday! (but not today) He does all his business on the potty and even tells me (or Bob) when he needs to go. I'm really amazed because Oliver didn't start telling us he had to go until he was a little older...actually almost 3.
Wyatt has also been learning colors and shapes. He's still pretty set on everything being bluuuuue but he'll get it on the second try most times. With shapes he knows triangle, circle and oval really well, the others he's still working on.
He's starting to talk up a storm. He even told my mom a story when we were in Asheville. It was too cute!! He had a fake carrot and when my mom asked if she could have a bite he said "no! bunny!" so my mom asked him where the bunny was and he said "far far wayyyyyy..road!" then someone said something about a monster and he said "monster far far wayyyyy...road!" "Bunny run run!!" Anyway his vocabulary is getting bigger and bigger and he's a chatterer just like Oliver.

Oliver has been reading. He breaks words up into smaller pieces and puts all the sounds together. Sometimes he figures it out so fast that I'm amazed. He's been reading big words, too...7 and 8 letters!
He knows so much stuff. He's learning about the solar system - how the sun works, the order of the planets, etc. He loves science and we've been reading a lot of books about fossils and they cycles of the Earth.
Oliver really likes to help. He'll help do anything at any time. I've given him a few regular responsibilities like feeding Jasper, making his bed, and folding the small towels. He also cleans up the playroom (with help) and can vacuum. He thinks vacuuming is FUN.
He enjoys arts and crafts - anything he can create. Painting and coloring are one of the easier, less messy choices but he also has a craft kit (thanks Ani and Digits!) that has paper, scissors, glue sticks, stickers, puffy balls, and all kinds of other stuff. Of course, he can still create with legos, blocks, and his new favorite - pipe cleaners. Since that first day we've played with them so much. He winds them together and then tells me what he made. It might not actually look like what he says but what an imagination!
Oliver is incredibly social. He walks up to anyone in stores or at the park and talks to them. I love it when he does that. He's so sweet and I'm pretty sure most people enjoy talking to him even if he IS a silly head sometimes.

Bob is still working at RTG - hoping to get a promotion to field supervisor late this year/early next year. His job just keeps getting harder and harder and with him being the only tech in the area right now it's really rough. He hardly ever gets home before I have to go to work so we don't get to spend much time together.

My job as Sears is still pretty easy. I barely do anything as far as my own job. After I finish my work I'll go around and help out here and there so I don't get bored. At home I'm still trying to lose weight. I lost six pounds but I gained one back. I have 15 more to lose so it won't be that bad but I wish they'd just melt off without work! I've kind of gotten off track with my diet although I'm still eating smaller portions of the stuff I do eat. I've also avoided soda for most of the month...and it was HARD! When I did have one, though, it didn't taste very good. I guess the idea of soda is better than the actual soda.
Anyway, I guess that's all the updates for now.

new sheets for my bed!!

2010-06-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

I got these on clearance at Sears. They were 50 percent off the clearance price so were only $10!!! They're made of microflannel so they are really soft and comfy. So far we've really enjoyed them.

it's a little erly but...

2010-06-13T10:32:00.000-04:00

fun with pipecleaners......

2010-06-13T10:29:00.000-04:00

Even Bob got in on the fun!

I made Oliver a Green Lantern Ring...look at that big jewel!

fun with pipecleaners.......

2010-06-13T09:49:00.000-04:00

Oliver is such a poser.

I didn't INTEND this to turn into Harry Potter since the boys don't know who he is but ...well, glasses and a magic wand. I was pretty tempted to draw the lightening bolt on his head.

And here's mini-Harry. Wyatt really liked pulling the star off the top of the wand.

POOF!

Wyatt at the zoo...

2010-06-02T09:42:00.000-04:00

He fell asleep about 2/3 of the way through. Poor little guy must have been so worn out.

He's escaping into the jungle!

Wyatt, where are the animals?

Little sweaty adventure boy!

Oliver

2010-06-02T09:34:00.000-04:00

Oliver went and sat on top of these steps so he wouldn't disturb the animals. It was so cute! Gramma went and sat with him - it was too sweet not to snap a picture.

I just like this close up shot of Oliver - he's so handsome!

I'm not even sure what they were looking at but they all look reeeeeally interested!

The otter does flips and tricks for the kids. They all enjoyed the show. Oliver wanted to stay even after everyone else had walked away. The otter is one of my favorite things at the zoo.

more zoo

2010-06-02T09:28:00.001-04:00

Oliver and Delilah played the Mount Cameroon game. Oliver is jumping over the laaaava!

Wyatt and Delilah checking out the flamingos

Oliver, Wyatt and Delilah all got to ride the "music-go-round" (that's what Oliver called it) Oliver chose an elephant. Delilah was on the cheetah right next to him...

and Wyatt rode a zebra. It seemed like they had fun but I was a little dizzy when we got off!!

from my birthday...

2010-06-02T09:21:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot to post these pictures. I guess I thought I had already done it. Oh well, here they are. We had a GREAT time!!!

Grampa Dale walking with Wyatt...

Daddy holding Wyatt...

Oliver and Delilah riding an elephant statue.

This is the best picture I got of these three by the orchids.

big guitar boy

2010-06-02T09:17:00.000-04:00

Oliver is such a rock star. He loves playing this guitar and he even sings now when he does it. He makes up songs and dances. It's hilarious to watch and also very sweet. I'm glad he's interested in music!

little musicians...

2010-06-02T09:09:00.000-04:00

Oliver was very gracious and allowed Wyatt to play his guitar for a few minutes. Wyatt was very careful with it.

He had a little trouble holding it but he strummed some good music!

Then they got together and formed a band..Oliver found his harmonica and they played together for a few minutes.

They switched after a bit because Wyatt couldn't hold the guitar up anymore. Poor little arms. They made some..."music" together.

the little sword-bearer

2010-06-02T08:57:00.000-04:00

Wyatt also got a sword. Here he is practicing his moves...

eeeeeeek!

Here they are jousting with each other.

and here's the little guy taking a rest in his throne

the knight and his noble steed

2010-06-02T08:48:00.000-04:00

We got these swords and sheilds at Toys R Us - they were on clearance for a good price so both boys have a set now. They're foam so even if they get hit with one it doesn't hurt that bad. We got Gumbo, the horse, at the Dollar Tree. Oliver rode around all day trying to find a dragon to fight but alas there were none in this fair land.

So he went outside to practice his sword skills.

playing outside

2010-06-02T08:44:00.000-04:00

This was actually a few weeks ago. We took a walk and when we got back the boys were still so full of energy that we let them stay out and run around. They chased each other all over the yard. I don't know what they were playing but they sure were having fun.

Bob found a lightning bug and the boys were very fascinated by it. It took a while to catch one since there were only two or three but Bob finally got one. Oliver wasn't afraid to touch it like he usually is. We let it go when they were done looking at it.

eating right

2010-05-25T08:20:00.004-04:00

I'm thinking of changing our diet (as a family) starting June 1. I've been reading books and watching documentaries about food and I'm really disgusted! We will probably go meatless for the most part and start shopping for produce at the local farmer's market. For those of you in this area that's NOT the one on Sandy Ridge Rd in High Point - if you read the labels their food is NOT local.
I'm also cutting out excess sugar - no more soda, no more cake/cookies, no more white bread/pasta. I'll also try to avoid high fructose corn syrup and other artificial sweeteners.
I'm not sure what my goal is time-wise at this point but I'm thinking 30 days. This is going to be really hard - have you checked labels for HFCS before? It's in everything!
Anyway, I'll try to keep up with daily menus...maybe I'll start a new blog for that.

The playground

2010-05-11T10:06:00.000-04:00

After we tromped through the woods for about an hour we found a playground. The boys and I hung out while Bob went to get the car. Oliver made a friend, a boy named Kendall, and they had fun running around together. Oliver is getting very good at climbing.

Not wanting to be outdone, Wyatt also climbed the ladder (with Bob closeby)

His favorite is still the tunnel, though. I love the static in his hair and he made just the goofiest face!

Oliver is doing lots of "big boy" things - he'll balance on just about anything. He went a good way around the playground on this edge.

Mother's Day Adventure!!

2010-05-11T09:59:00.000-04:00

Setting out on our adventure in "the JUNGLE" on Mother's Day. It was pretty warm out. We had a little picnic before we hit the trail and we packed plenty of water in our backpacks. Oliver, Wyatt and Bob all had a backpack but Wyatt got tired of carrying his so I ended up with it.

Adventure boy!

The boys held hands so no one would get too far ahead. They look too cute together.

All the boys heading off right at the end of the trip.