Sunday Best

Since Luke is back in the church nursery, I decided to take some pictures of the boys before we left for church. At this point, I only use the camera on my phone because it is so much easier, but that also means I don't get the best quality pictures. (I can live with that, though!) But, on this particular morning, the camera phone wasn't the issue...

Our "best" shot (Yes, I realize that neither are looking at the camera and this is still the best-ha!)

The outtakes...

Fishing with Daddy

A few weeks ago Creed took Caleb fishing on their first real day trip. They left after church and it was after 9pm when they returned home- both exhausted! Caleb had so, so much fun and can't wait to go again. I'm sure they will have many more fishing days ahead of them!

Talkative

To simply say that Caleb is talkative is a vast understatement. Caleb does not stop talking- we call it his "stream of consciousness" because during some conversations he goes from one thing to the next, without so much as a pause. He also asks more questions each day than I could ever imagine. We actually had a man come over to give us an estimate on finishing our basement and he joked that it would be $100 extra if he had to answer all of Caleb's questions! (That's actually a pretty good deal!)

But more than being just talkative, he is very in tune with appropriate adult conversations. He'll say things like

"I'm glad you came to my house."

"Call me if you need anything."

"It was really good seeing you."

and so on. I always smile when I hear him say these things because it reminds me that he is growing up into a little boy!

*****

Caleb: Mommy, do you have a baby in your tummy?

Me: No!

Caleb: Oh, maybe it's just food then.

*****

Caleb: Mommy, what are you doing?

Me: Putting on makeup.

Caleb: Why?

Me: To try and look pretty.

Caleb: You look like a princess to me!

*****

His bedtime prayer last night...

Dear God,

Thank you for today.

I hope I can sleep good.

Thank you Jackson came over.

(a few mumbles)

I hope Heaven is fun.

Amen.

Mommy, was that a good prayer? Yes.

Mommy, where is Heaven? (before I can answer...) It's in the sky. It's in the solar system. Do they have houses there?

Luke's

I love seeing Luke wear Caleb's hand me down clothes because all the memories of baby Caleb come back! I can remember where I got it and what he was doing when he wore it. 99% of Luke's toys were once Caleb's as well, and I think that's perfectly fine- he doesn't know, and really, I don't think he'd care even if he did!

When Caleb turned one he got a sand and water table from PeePaw and Grandma Beth, which to this day is still a BIG hit. After a while though, we decided to put sand on both sides so he could use it year round. For Luke's first birthday we knew just the perfect gift for him- his very own water table!

Big brother likes it too!

Thanks, PeePaw & Grandma Beth!

Working Hard

Caleb & Brody always take breaks from bike riding and Jeep driving to "work." This involves digging and filling a wheelbarrow with dirt, only to dump it out again. They love it. I'm not sure their yard will ever be the same...

My Mother Knows Best

Last week Luke ran a fever for about 48 hours. He also had a runny nose, watery eyes, and some congestion. By Sunday, the only symptom left was the runny nose.

And, he never, not even once pulled at his ears.

At night he's been sleeping 12+ hours without making a peep. (Sunday night he did wake up for about 45 minutes and fussed off an on.) He's been eating like a little piggy and taking great naps. Oh, and he hasn't pulled at his ears. At all.

He's happy most of the day, but does get a little fussy during the late afternoon and evening. Teething?

****

You know the saying, Mother knows best...I think it should be My mother knows best. Over the past few days my Mom has continued to drop hints that I should take Luke to the doctor, just to make sure his ears were clear. I kept reminding her that he was sleeping great, not pulling at his ears, etc. and didn't think he was sick. But, to make 100% sure he was okay, I called this morning to make an appointment. The conversation went something like this:

Is he running a fever? No.

How is he sleeping? Great.

Is he eating? Yep.

Any other symptoms? No, just what he had last week (I called last week to ask about allergy medicine) and he is a little fussy in the evenings.

Why in the world would you want to bring him in then? Because my Mom said so.

(Okay, that last part didn't happen.)

Thankfully, I called at 8:30 and had an appointment time of 9:00. By 9:30 we were at Kroger getting an antibiotic for his DOUBLE EAR INFECTION.

Bless his heart, he is one tough little guy! And yes, my mother always knows best!

The Last Package

While Marshma & Papa have been in Florida, every few weeks they have sent the boys a package full of treats and goodies, and it's been something that Caleb looks very forward to. Yesterday they got their LAST package, which Caleb was super excited about. He knows that since it's the last, it means they'll be coming home soon. He has the day they'll be home circled on his calendar and can't wait to flip the page of the calendar to April.

*****
Wearing their Florida shirts from one of their packages. (Thanks Marshma & Papa! Can't wait to see ya!)

Everything Green

Last Friday Caleb came home from school with the idea that he wanted to eat green food on St. Patrick's Day. I think he said he wanted to eat cilantro and green salad. He was also adamant that we needed to go to Kroger and get stuff to make a green cake. While I've never "celebrated" St. Patrick's Day before, I thought it would be fun to let him celebrate in his way.

Here's how our green day went...When he got up he immediately made "decorations"- he used green paint and made signs. For breakfast he had green syrup on his waffles.

Then it was time to make his green cake! He also learned a lot about patience that day when he learned that the cake had to cool completely before icing it.
His green lunch- grapes, apples, celery, cilantro, applesauce, and pickles. He had two comments about his lunch..."This is the best green lunch ever!" and "Mmmm, good cilantro, Mommy!"

Adding the final touch to his cake- green sprinkles, and LOTS of them!

Worth the wait- love that grin!

Go Big Blue!

Thursday night we had the opportunity to cheer on the Cats at the Yum Center. This was our first NCAA tournament game, and the atmosphere was simply awesome. We're hoping this is the year we'll get to see a new banner hung at Rupp!

Ava's Big Day

Last Sunday we had a great time celebrating Ava's 4th birthday at her Lion King themed bash. She is such a beautiful, loving, and dramatic little girl, and it is so hard to believe that she is already four.
The beautiful 4 year old

Reagan, Ava, Caleb, and Eli- They play the part of wild animals very well sometimes! ;)

Outside Time

We'll take 80s and sunny any day! The boys have loved all the outside time we've had over the past few weeks. Caleb is getting used to wearing shorts (he initially preferred pants since that is what he's used to wearing) and Luke looks SUPER cute in Caleb's hand me down shorts. Luke's knees are showing wear and tear from crawling in shorts, so maybe walking will come sooner rather than later. (I am SO ready for him to be up off the ground, and his pants and pajamas are getting holes in the knees!)

One day we had a Chickfila picnic at the park and later that afternoon Luke got to sit and play in the grass for the first time. He was curious and kept picking the grass, but then preferred to play ball instead. He loves to throw you a ball and have you throw it back, and will actually play this game for quite a while. Unfortunately, Luke is sick again. He started showing signs of allergy issues earlier this week and by Thursday he was running a fever. He was in the church nursery for the FIRST time since before Christmas- coincidence?! But, he is still sleeping great, so we're praying it doesn't go to his ears!

Clown Day

Last week Caleb's class had clown down. They made their own clown costumes and paraded down the preschool hallway with musical instruments. Caleb got to use the cymbals, and I can only imagine the wonderful noise that was heard!

They also got to wear something crazy to school that day. I had so much fun putting his outfit together, especially baby Luke's leg warmers. I think they really added that little something extra to the look. ;) Oh, and I might have had to bribe him to get him out the door in this....

Luke's 1st Hair Cut

Last Wednesday Luke had his first hair cut. Over the past few weeks his hair became increasingly shaggy, and began to resemble a mullet- not a good look! I took this picture in the bath the night before...

At the salon before she got started. Yes, while the front looked rather tame, the back was just a big mess! I had to draw the line when it was coming down his neck and laying on the collar of his shirt.

Christi, the girl who cuts my hair (and Caleb's too) did a great job. She is always so patient and good with the little ones. We were also lucky that Uncle Luke was out of school and met us there for an extra set of (much needed) hands.

The "after" shot. It is amazing how much older he immediately looked!

It Snowed!

Monday morning Caleb was so excited when he looked outside and exclaimed, "Mommy, it snowed enough to go sledding!" Finally! It's been crazy, with 70 degree temps in February and our first real snow in March, but we'll take what we can get. Both boys were bundled up and we were outside by 9am! (The best part was that with the really warm temperatures the days prior, the roads were clear!)

Brianna's Party

Last weekend Caleb went to his friend Brianna's 4th birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. This is the second year that Caleb and Brianna have been in the same class at school, so they know each other pretty well and get along great. This was my first experience as a parent at a Chuck E Cheese party, and it went much how I expected it to- it was wild and headache inducing! But, the most important thing was that the kids were happy and had fun, and Caleb will tell you that "It was the best birthday party ever!" I got a few pictures, and I was so thankful that Grandmom and Grandpa kept baby Luke- there is no way I could have handled him there too!

By the way, Chuck E Cheese now plans all of their parties at the same time in one big area, so there are like 6 parties all going on at the same time. One big "Happy Birthday" song, everyone blows out their candles at the same time, etc. Like I said, crazy!

*****
That's Brianna, the birthday girl, in the red crown. (Terrible picture, I realize!)

Playing air hockey with Kaden.

He was much more enthusiastic about playing the games when he found out he could trade the ticket in for candy!

A Dinner Idea...

I love to cook. Actually, I love to cook IF it's a fun and easy, yet a really good meal. I get overwhelmed with cooking a lot, though, which isn't fun. Because Creed works late a few nights out of the week, I have to make something that is good after it's been reheated in the microwave. And, because I have two little guys who won't touch chicken enchiladas, soup, or any casseroles, I find myself making two, and sometimes even three, meals a night. Again, not fun!

BUT, on the nights Creed is home I like to make something fun- enter fish tacos! First of all, I don't like fish. I'll eat plain, white fish if it's fried (and doesn't taste like fish) but that's about it. I want to like fish, but find that fishy taste disgusting. I ran across this recipe on my favorite website, Skinnytaste.com, and decided to try it out, because after all, I want to like fish. After a few tries, I think I have it perfect!

(And, no, I never follow a recipe perfectly when I'm cooking.)

I think these Gorton's Grilled Fillets, Cajun Blackened are BEST for this recipe. Bake them according to the directions on the box for 18 min. (the lowest time.)

While they are baking saute some (big spoonful) garlic, about 1/3 to 1/2 of a large onion, and a diced red pepper in olive oil. (I liked red onions the best in the recipe, but it doesn't matter.)

After the pepper and onion is soft, add fresh diced tomatoes. (I used 4 Roma, and that amount was perfect.)

Then add a big handful of chopped cilantro and stir.

When the fish is done baking, add it to the skillet and flake it apart, mixing it well with the tomatoes and other veggies. Squeeze the juice of one lime over top and add salt & pepper to taste.

Serve in warm, corn tortillas with avocado slices and fresh chopped jalapeno.

**I don't add the jalapeno to the fish and veggies in the skillet because that will make it too spicy for the boys, but if you don't have little ones to share with, add it to the skillet. Yes, that means that Caleb DOES eat the fish, and actually LOVES it. I know, crazy!

**My modified recipe makes about 6 or 7 tortillas.

Enjoy!

A Visit

Over the weekend Papa Bill and GG stopped over for a visit. Caleb and Ava had a blast playing together and Luke did his best to try and keep up. And, this is actually the first picture of them with all of their great grandkids!

Just Wondering

Did you know...
-that I am a very happy little guy?

-that I growl and "talk" back to my Mommy all the time?

-that I love reading books, especially the "touch & feel" ones?

-that while I'm kinda small, I could eat twice as much as most kids?

-that I know what the word "no" means and I listen most of the time?

-that I give amazing hugs and great, wet kisses?

-that I love to sleep?

-that I am a really good crawler?

-that I have no interest in walking? At all.

-that I love to clap my hands?

-that I am great at the grocery store, even on long trips?

-that my brother can make me crack up laughing?

-that peek a boo is my favorite game?

-that I love, love, love to wrestle?

-that I have the best, most helpful, and kind big brother in the whole world?

*****

Just wondering if you knew all that about me!

1 Year Check Up

Yesterday Luke had his one year well-baby check up, something that I had been dreading (4 shots and a finger prick!) for a while. He did really well and worked for most of the appointment at getting the band aid off his little finger. Tears came after the shots, but his eyes were dry by the time I got him dressed again. He looked good and showed off his strength. He is still our little guy- with all of his measurements falling between the 25th and 40th percentiles, but we happen to think he is just perfect.

Weight: 20 pounds, 11 ounces

Height: 29 inches