19 months

Brooks you are such a cutie these days. Running non-stop, babbling non-stop and playing to your heart's content. Your words so far are "ball, daddy, mommy, COLE!, car, ba (for any liquid in a cup), Nanny and Maw-Maw". You attempt most things we ask of you, whether tasks or words. You are such a great helper cleaning up...even random garbage in stores, parking lots and playgrounds (eek have I raised a neat freak!). You love to play with your brother and are most happy when he is around entertaining you. You love to eat and have a great appetite. You make me laugh constantly. I LOVE being your mommy :)

Favorite Things

As a keepsake I decided to start recording a few of your favorites.
So here they are, at age 5 you love:

All the colors because they are so beautiful. (Your fave used to be the color BLUE! )

Your favorite food according to you is still mac n cheese. You also love candy of any type, cereal in the mornings, trail mix that we make ourselves and McD's chicken nuggets with french fries.

You like to play bubbles. Your favorite toys are balls because according to you "You can roll them around and stuff".

Your favorite movie is Lighting McQueen (Cars). Your favorite toys are balls cause you can roll them around and stuff.

You love to do preschool activity books and to read any books!

You have grown into quite a young man. Daddy took you to a baseball game last night and you said it was "awesome". Wow you are growing up so quickly. I love you little man.

Five Years Old

Little man, you are getting so big! This year's birthday has been a big one. Not only are you in great anticipation of your Seuss themed party but you are very excited about the prospect of presents! We spent the day together at one of your favorite parks and then daddy took you mini golfing! We also went our for ice cream, where you chose the cotton candy flavored ice cream, in a cup, with Nerds on top. Tomorrow is your big party and i have a suspicious feeling that you'll be getting up nice and early to get ready for your guests!

half birthday

little man, you light up my life. It is truly hard to believe you have been in our lives for a year and a half now. you are also too big for your britches, imitating and doing things that are well beyond things you should be doing. you are at a age that we all watch in amazement and absolute adoration...even Cole. for the first time this week, you said your brother's name. so cute. speech seems to be right around the corner but for now I adore the babble and noises you always seem to be making.

please stay this little...and cute...i can't bear to think of you any bigger :)

oopsy daisy

Yikes a month has passed and I'm not sure I've ever been this much of a slacker! I've definitely thought of writing on the blog but in the midst of home improvements, being mom, Easter, preparing for Cole's birthday bash and oh yea, being a wife and throwing in a little time for myself, the blog has taken a back seat. The boys and I ventured downtown last week to experience the Cherry Blossoms. I knew it was an ambitious field trip but I insisted that we would pack a lunch and do it, no matter what it took. Well it wasn't easy to trek 2 boys, a stroller, lunch and a diaper bug up a shuttle bus' steps but I did it! two times :) I am so blessed to have 2 very behaved little guys that would even attempt this with me.
Brooks continues to grow into a little man at an amazing pace. I discovered tooth number 10, a rear molar, today as we played. He seems to want to speak and babbles as if he really is, but doesn't have many real words at this point. Cole got his first "shiner" while visiting his cousins this weekend. That is injury number 4 to his face in the last 3 weeks. Ugh, what I have to look forward to as the mother of boys!

Marching on....

yes I'm too tired to get up and get the camera as I start this post. With or without a photo, this blog post will happen. Who knows maybe before the I'm finished I'll feel motivated to get up and get the camera! or maybe I can get Cole to bring it to me! This mama is tired. It's been a day full of preschool drop off/pick ups, cleaning, cooking, playing, laundry, playing, changing diapers, consoling tears (because geez-o Brooks falls down a million times a day), and more cooking.
We're in the middle of our latest kitchen renovation (and by latest i mean it feels like we are always renovating a kitchen!) That means aside from the normal things to do around the house, there is an even longer to-do list. I'm trying to help out with some things, but generally I am no help...i only make more work :( I did fill in holes in the window frames today and sanded them. i had high hopes that I'd also be able to paint a little...no cigar.
To avoid the renovation mess, the boys and i headed to Old Town's St. Patty's Day parade this past Saturday. The parade was good as always but made me super nostalgic for the days when we lived close by. We took advantage of the nice weather and we visited our old park and neighbors. It was great to see everyone. Mike, one of our old neighbors said, "you can take the girl out of Rosemont, but you can't take Rosemont out of the girl!" How true. There is a part of me that would trade every square foot of this house to move back into one of the tiny ones (okay maybe one with a basement).
At 16 months, Brooks seems to be finally getting some words or at least trying really hard to get some. I held on dearly to his string cheese today until he said the word 'cheese'! It was really cute. I think he can also say ball and bah-bah (for his bottle.....yes we should be getting rid of it!). He also says mahhhhh-mahhh alot! Not that I mind :)
Cole is growing up way too quickly and while most of the time he seems so big to me, I have to realize that he is still so small. I heard his voice through a baby monitor last week and it definitely reminded me how mousy and small he sounds....so cute!

bloggin'

After recently struggling to put together an entire year of pictures, memories, and stats about Brooks, I realize the importance of the blog. How else am I supposed to remember all of these things? I also realize that there are lots of gaps! Sometimes I don't post because we were simply busy. Other times it is because I am too lazy to get up to get the camera to include a photo. No more! If I am too lazy, I simply will not include one :) The blogs are too important to help me not forget these times.

We spent last weekend in Virginia Beach at Allison, Scott and Quinn's house. We were there to watch the Superbowl. Exciting, particularly for Craig, because HIS team was yet again a contender! Unfortunately, the Steelers couldn't pull it off but we had tons of fun getting ready for the game. Grammie sent a care package with silly wigs, yellow and black leis, face stickers, a cow bell and lots of other Steeler goodies. The boys loved the wigs and we took lots of fun pictures.

This weekend we attended a Chocolate Festival at our Church while Craig spent time putting up new kitchen cabinets. I cannot believe we are doing another kitchen redo!

The boys are both doing great. Brooks is running around this week doing a funny blowing thing from his mouth, while wildly swinging his arms and marching around with great vigor! It is so cute and I hope at some point I can get it on video camera. He is quite the character these days. Cole is as always getting to be such a big boy. He exhausts me recently with the amount that he can talk! Seriously, does he ever stop? Both boys have been going to their own childcare rooms while I have been working out at the gym. Cole has become brave enough to make some new friends there and even went to the other room on Friday where they do something called Kids in Motion. I was so proud of him :) He is a very timid fella when it comes to trying something new and I didn't even have to push him.

Oh the weather outside is...

cold! Regardless, we have been having fun. To remain sane, the boys and I have bundled up and braved the cold heading for the playground, the backyard, or to our neighbors' for a little outside time...of course, followed by hot chocolate. Cole and Jackson have hit it off as pals, if only they could keep the pesky siblings out of the way! Brooks hit a very cranky period at the end of January~ mild fever, wanted to be held constantly~ I think he's out of it now and what do you know, tooth #7 is here. I hope that is all the crankiness was...and I hope it doesn't return!
We have begun the kitchen renovation in the new house and the boys are enjoying helping dad with the fun. Craig had to cut a hole in the floor from the basement to the kitchen and we had a jolly good time shoving things up and down that hole! I think we ought to keep the opening and scare the pants off our guests! The winter doldrums are definitely here and I am anxiously awaiting springs return. I am ready to be rid of winter coats and ready to see some signs of life outside~ I sure hope there are crocuses around here somewhere. If not, Cole and I will definitely have to plant some!

15 months

At fifteen months you are cute. That's the best word for it. You toddle around with a wobbly gait. You smile a toothy, wide grin constantly. Your adorable giggles are contagious! You just got tooth #6! I think I've heard words for ball and "this" (while pointing). You adore your big brother and seem lost when he isn't around. You are independent in a way your brother never was, only coming to find mom when you really need something. Otherwise you will contentedly play with any ole toy that happens to be lying around. You love to eat and come running when I mention the word! It is such a joy to be your momma :)

Do-Overs

Can we get a do-over on Christmas? Yucko did we have a sick group on our hands! On Christmas Eve Craig came down with a stomach bug and shortly after Brooks followed. The next few days were sheer torture combined with gift opening, meal preparation and lots of visitors (who we also successfully infected~sorry to all). A week later we are happily back into our school/work routine and it seems such a waste for Craig to have had an entire week off and we never got to sleep in, not to mention we spent most of the time confined to our house. Only 360 something days till next year....I think I can wait :)

T minus 2 days

and counting! Wow, the Holiday season has flown by but with a couple of days to go we are all ready! The shopping is done, the presents are wrapped, and the cookies are baked. My last mission, completed last night, was to find a turkey large enough to feed the crew showing up here for Christmas day. We are hosting our first Christmas meal this year and I am hoping it will be a success. I have been very unmotivated to do Christmas cards this year and for once I have not been in a panic about it. The cards are ordered, just not sent! I'm thinking they'll be Happy New Year's cards :)

The boys are all geared up too. I think the closeness of the day is beginning to sink in with Cole. More and more presents are piling up under the tree. I just hope he understands they are not all for him!

Merry Christmas...almost :)

Tis the season

Yikes I have been ignoring the blog! We have been enjoying ourselves as we prepare for the season. Brooks has been an incredibly good boy ignoring (well not completely) the Christmas tree. It was quite fun to bring out ALL of the decorations and to be able to use them all for once. In celebration of the season, a new visitor appeared thanks to Aunt Tiffy. Our new resident is an elf named Jingles. Jingles is quite the character. He smiles constantly, bathes infrequently and occasionally has been known to hang from the dining room chandelier! He changes his location nightly and Cole rushes down each morning to find his new, odd spot.

We have also added a few other members to our family recently. Jack, Jill, Molly, Polly, Tom and Jerry, our new fish, have made quite a home in our new tank. I just love to watch them, which is a product of our childhood fish tanks, I think!

Last weekend, we hosted our first Gingerbread house decorating party at the new house. Oh what fun we had! It was so wonderful to be able to have visitors and to enjoy their company without stepping on one another!

As the countdown continues there is so much to do! I have begun to gather the cookie recipes with the bake-a-thon to begin this weekend. The presents have begun to be wrapped and the excitement level is building for sure. Cole is very in to Christmas this year and it absolutely warms my heart and makes me even more excited to have a good Christmas for him (and Brooks).

Oh, I wish...I wish..I wish

that we could win FREE tickets to see Santa at Hard Rock this year. We had so much fun last year :) Our Kids is giving away free tickets so sign up today (but please let us win)!

Our Kids Hard Rock Brunch with Santa Link

Thankful

November being the month of giving thanks, we have been speaking of the things we are thankful for at church recently. I am thankful for so many things. Strangely I am ever more thankful for most things in my life since I was laid off, now more than 2 years ago. That was a life changing experience for me, not only because it made me evaluate the budget time and time again but it flipped my perspective to looking at the things that I DO HAVE and not the things that I do not. I've always been a frugal person. From the time I was small, I'd save any money that I earned and in fact, I'd even say I hoarded it! Those are tales for another time :)
This week's lesson at church was about how no matter how much we have, we can never be happy...we always want more. I'll admit, I have my moments. The current one being that I want our house to feel like a home and that means buying furniture, painting walls, home improvements...all requiring more. More time, more money...just more.
Today I just want to be thankful for today. Thankful that I got to wake up to my two (I mean three!) boys. Thankful that I can be at home with them. Thankful for walking Cole into preschool and watching the cuteness of him and his classmates as they begin their school day together. Thankful for Brooksy's 5th tooth for finally appearing! Thankful for the past weekend when we got to spend lots of quality time together at the park and at Great Falls. Thankful for our word's beauty.

Happy Halloween!

Two little puppies this year...only one who would wear his ears for a photo. He's a cute one though!

A Perfect Day

Today was the perfect day...not that anything special happened. In fact, I still have a touch of a cold and can barely breath out of my nose, but the weather Gods were on our side, the to-do list was small (at least the "have to-do" part) and with nothing in particular on our agenda the boys and I set off for a leisurely afternoon at Kidwell Farm. Brooks is fascinated by the animals. The sheep were fascinated by us! There were baby cows, baby pigs...I thought the spring time was baby time on a farm? It was really neat to see Brooks toddling around the gravel paths and a little difficult to keep him out of digging in ...well everything... and on a farm who knows what that could be! Cole felt the need to bring home a souvenir rock. I bet it is long forgotten now that he is home but while we were thing it was oh-so-important.

Happy Birthday Brooksy

One year ago today I began to have some aches and pains that might, just might, be labor. Eight HARD hours later you came into our world and it hasn't been the same since. You have been an amazing baby. Yes, you need your mom to do things for you, but really you are such a sweet, little boy. You wave hello and good-bye now and i think you are beginning to imitate the sounds too! I know you try to say "night-night" as I lay you down for your naps. "Ma-Ma Ma-Ma" has definately become your favorite thing to say. You love attention from your older brother and you love to steal his toys, particularly any of his beloved stuffed animals. You beam when your Daddy comes home from work and love to rough house with him like only boys do. Brooks, you have been a true joy to mother for the last year and I cannot wait to be there for whats to come in the next. I love you little monkey.

less than one week

It's hard to believe that in less than one week our littlest man is going to be one! Here is a sneak peek at some fun craft stuff that Cole and I have been working on. We're doing a monkey theme and have been having lots of fun making a birthday sign, t-shirt and hat for the little man.

Excuses...excuses

I wish I could use the house as an excuse for my absence in writing on the blog lately but really I can't. We are really no further along with things around here than we were several weeks ago! We did finally order bedroom furniture and it arrived this past weekend. Now to paint so that we can use the furniture. When I try to think about what we've been doing, the only thing that comes to mind is that we've been trying to find our new groove. Weeks into living here, I don't think we are any closer :( We have a library ritual on Mondays but compared to our busy schedule in Alexandria, Cole and Brooks should be bored out of their minds. Many days we do much of nothing. Cole heads off to school, of course, brooks naps...I clean :) A couple of weeks ago we headed to Cox Farms for their yearly opening and again had a wonderful time of hay rides, slides, apple cider drinking and general fun. I hope this will continue to be a yearly ritual because I have as much fun as the kids. Brooksy's birthday is coming up and I have begun to plan for our first official party at the new house. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times but I CANNOT believe that my littlest,little man is turning ONE!

the Grind

Summer is slipping away and fall is creeping in, both weather and activity wise. Cole began his first week of preschool this past week at a new school in Reston. All seems to be going well and i am relieved to have a few hours together alone with Brooks during the week. The boys and I have also been taking advantage of the cooler days, taking walks and even making a trip to the zoo. Aside from the constant unpacking, organizing and pure chaos (still!) of our move, I am busy trying to plan Brooks' first birthday party. It is so hard to believe he is nearly a year old. He is cruising everywhere these days and will even stand unsupported for a few seconds. I think he may beat his brother on the walking timeline. Daily I am so thankful that Cole and Brooks have each other. What a beautiful relationship siblings can have at this stage. Today they were in the wagon together and although it wasn't always friendly, it did always warm my heart to watch them interact. Priceless, as they say :)