The Things They Do and Say

So as it turns out, I forgot several things about the boys that I really need to document. And since I didn't write any of them down today as I thought of them, let's see if I remember!


Peter:

• Says "That's a good problem" when he really means "That's a good plan".
• "Reads" his Bible (whatever book that happens to remotely resemble one) very often. He likes to recite whatever he can remember from any Bible story that pops into his head. Lately there is much said about kings (we've been reading through a children's year-long Bible story book, currently we're reading about all the kings of Israel and Judah, good and bad).
• Knows his colors!
• Whenever I ask him what we should have for supper his typical response is, "Pizza!"
• Still sometimes will say "Your welcome" when he really means "Thank you".
• Has a generally gentle, compassionate nature. He tries very hard (in a 2 1/2 year old way) to help younger children with things, to hold David's hand, to help him down the stairs, to help David stand up (wrapping his arms around D's neck and pulling up...), etc. 
• Every once in a while I'll see him with his head resting on Lucy's head as he tells her what a sweet, good dog she is and how much he loves her. 
• Every once in a while he'll also walk up to me, rub my back or arm and very quietly tell me, "You're my special, special sweet boy, Mommy." (insert huge sigh of contentment)
• LOVES to be just like daddy. The other day I walked into his room to discover that he'd already picked out clothes for the day. The noteworthy items (aka - just like dad) were a belt and a button up shirt.
• Ever since he "helped" Luke skin a raccoon, he likes to tell the story of how he trapped a raccoon in his trap and then skinned it. It always starts like this, "Mommy, I have a story to tell you..."
• His precious, sweet prayers were becoming more monotonous and squished together so much so that no one had a clue what he was saying anymore. We tried working with him to slow down, speak clearly and loudly, but recently he's decided that he can't pray slowly and so we should just pray instead. Hmm...
• This whole past week since the time change, he's been waking up around 6ish. Except today. He slept in until 7:20 today. I am praying that wasn't a fluke.
• Typically when he wakes up in the morning, I'm sitting up in bed, reading my Bible and praying. He has learned that he needs to quietly play until I'm done. Today while I was folding laundry and David was playing, Peter grabbed a notebook and pencil, flopped down into the recliner and said, "Shhh. I'm doing my Bible lesson."
• Favorite songs: Jesus Loves Me and The B-I-B-L-E, followed by any other song that he remembers from BSF or our Sunday School songs CDs. I LOVE listening to him sing!

David:

• Is FINALLY beginning to like some books. As long as there's plenty to look at and not too many words, that is. :) Favorites are (currently): Goodnight Gorilla, Dinosaur Roar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, a Matchbox cars pop-up book about a car being rescued from the bottom of a lake on a cold wintry day, My First Truck Book.
• Just today (or yesterday), has started walking over to me, puckering up his lips to mine for a kiss (limp lips smushed against mine) and then a snuggle hug. (enter another contented sigh)
• Loves to climb.
• Has a very mischievous grin!
• Whenever we arrive at our destination in the van, he says something that resembles "Here we are!" (He ya!)
• Very respectfully folds his hands whenever we are going to pray (or whenever he thinks someone is going to pray). However, as soon as the prayer has begun, he quickly resumes whatever it was that he was doing before. (usually)
• Is quite certain that the main purpose of our balcony is so that he can throw things off of it and watch them fall to the ground, three stories down. (He isn't allowed to bring anything that he can fit between the bars out onto it anymore!)
• Says "Eee!" (as in "cheese") whenever the camera comes out.
• Says "Eee!" (as in say "eee" so I can brush your teeth!) whenever the toothbrush comes out.
• Loves to throw things away for me.

Baby:

• Is starting to get in the way of bending over to pick things up.
• Is beginning to create problems for children trying to sit on my lap and lean against me.
• Is starting to smush my lungs a bit so that when I climb up to the third floor of our apartment building, I'm COMPLETELY winded! Or so I think. I'm sure it'll get better yet!
• Is growing and moving. I just love it...pretty soon the boys will be able to put their hands on my stomach and feel him moving, too.
• Peter is really looking forward to him being born so he can make funny faces at him, just like Little Critter did to his baby sister in The New Baby. (He loves Little Critter books.)

Luke:

• Is deer hunting this weekend! We're praying for him that he gets one!

A Plethora of Catching Up!

After a silent September and October, promptings from a couple lovely ladies (you know who you are!), and so much going on...the thought of even remotely doing justice to my poor children's online baby book has left me rather depressed. So instead of sitting down to just DO IT (as Nike used to say - do they still say that?), I keep putting it off.

And more things happen.

 And more pictures get taken.

 And more adorable things that the boys used to do get forgotten...where do I even begin?? I think this is a blog post worthy of pictures WITH stories. And maybe a few child-specific stories at the end. Everyone loves the pictures the best anyway, right?

 I love the little undie behind surrounded by trucks, train tracks, reading his truck book, of course.

 Another baby quilt I made this summer. For my friend Elizabeth's baby Maeve. I hope she likes it. I really like it. Especially the strip on the back of pieced tiny scraps.

 My friend Laura and I took our kids to the Champlin Kiddie Carnival in August. The boys (Peter and Uriah) are in the blue car towards the front of the train.

 David LOVED the animals. Peter did not. :)

 Peter did, however, love the bouncy jumping thing. What are those things called, anyway?

 David, who loves shoes, doesn't like to keep them on. However, now that it's too cold for sandals, he always finds them and wants to wear them. Funny boy!

 Sweetie pie.

 Swings had this calming effect on him this summer...he kept falling asleep in them!

 Swinging with cousin Evelyn.

Yes, he fell asleep like this. :)

 We went to Otsego Park with friends from BSF. I think with all these kids, we had 5 moms. 

 My friend and former roommate from college, Kristen, was home visiting from Georgia this summer. Her daughter is "pushing" the stroller.

I love how much the boys love Lucy. I especially love how gentle she is with them! (sorry about the bad picture, the flash died on our camera this summer....taking donations for a new one!)

 Peter got a bike this summer! It was his reward for being fully (except at night) potty-trained. We are so proud of him. :)

David learned how to walk at 13 months.

 At the end of August, Luke and I were blessed with a weekend away. We went up to Gull Lake near Brainerd and stayed at some friends' cabin. It was such a blessing!

 I, for the first time in my entire life, rode, no, DROVE, a jet-ski. It was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be! It would have been more fun when Luke majorly splashed me if it were a little warmer than the upper sixties, though. :)

 The sunsets were gorgeous!

All day Saturday and Sunday this airplane and another one were landing and taking off. It was so fun to watch.

 In the beginning of October, I took the boys to Berry Hill Farm with my aunt and uncle (Jim and Jen) and kiddos.

 They posed, but weren't too sure about being at the top of this massive pile of hay!

 We had fun on the tractor/wagon ride. Hayless hayride.

 Again, David LOVED the animals!

 The boys both got to go on a FREE pony ride! The lady even let Peter ride on two different horses. I'm sure he could still tell me their names if he were sitting here with me.

Still does love tractors.

 And a couple weeks later, we went to the apple orchard with our playgroup. Laura and her kiddos came along, which was good so we could get our annual "growth chart at the apple orchard" picture! (The kids are getting soooo hard to photograph together!)

 Peter and David on the truck at the orchard.

 See? They are impossible! Or maybe it's just Peter...

Laura, me and our kids on the wagon ride at the orchard!

 The boys dressed in their warm flannel finest. What could be more fun than sitting in the back of Dad's truck?

Baby boy #3!

 Laura's picture of our 3 - David, Peter and Uriah. (As a side note, for awhile this summer, Peter started calling Uriah "My-riah". You know, "You-riah"...)

 My-riah and Peter on the truck. :)

 David is starting to get old enough to actually climb on and play with the playground equipment. So fun!

 One day our van was in the shop, so we all piled into my friend Elizabeth's van. Cozy!

 David and Mariah Ewing.

 Another cuter shot of the kids at Otsego Park.

 We visited Bertha with Sara and Evie one warm Friday. They had fun toys to play with.

Peter keeping close watch over Evie. (he's such a father-hen (??) sometimes!)

 Greg and Ana Hunt were home (well, for Greg) visiting for awhile from.............(help?).........they were also visiting Bertha that same day.

 Lisa very graciously offered to take the boys' pictures again this fall at co-op. They are at such funny ages!

 "hug"

 This is going to be Peter's 8x10 on the wall for the next year or so!

 This is going to be David's 8x10 hanging on the wall. It's a little closer to his birthday and he looks a little more babyish than our fall pics, I think. Anyway, I love this picture, so that is what we're going to frame!

 This is, I'm sure, the one the grandmas will want. (right mom?)

 And this one of the two together, I will frame also. Can't decide on color or B&W, though...

Peter:

• Is almost three! December 15th is the official day and he is soooo excited! He's already picked the menu and cake design. He's pretty excited for Christmas, too. He asked almost daily for several months if it was time for getting a Christmas tree yet. :) Now he's waiting for the snow....he knows snow means it's getting closer!
• Loves being the oldest...if you know what I mean...
• If Luke or I call him by any name other than Peter, he will say, "I'm not _________, I'm Peter!"
• He is officially my thrower-upper.
• Officially potty trained for several months now! He's doing pretty well at night, too. I don't think it'll be much longer before he'll be dry all the time at night.
• He LOVES to help me bake cookies.
• Is doing really well at BSF this year so far.

David:

• Words:
• nee (nose)
• ma-ma
• shakes head no
• dog: panting sound
• if asked if he's done eating and he is, he'll push himself away from the table
• Tried drinking from the toilet the other day.
• Thinks Play-Doh is supposed to be a fantastic snack.
• Weight, head and height all jumped drastically at his last appointment. Yay! No parasite re-check yet, but we're hopeful that they're all gone. Wish I knew where he picked those nasty buggers up!
• Has become a mama's boy lately.
• Had a rough start at BSF this year, but is doing really well now. Still cries when I drop him off, but stops right away. Yay!

Baby:

• 21 weeks along!
• Boy!!
• Likes to move!
• I have, currently, partial placenta previa. We're praying it moves up as I progress farther along.
• It is so nice to feel good again! I can (almost) keep up with housework and cooking again! Yay!

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