My moments...

I have a friend (if you are reading this, you know who you are!) that when I was pregnant with Kolby, while sitting in her living room one day, I asked what it was like having multiple children. I mean what was I to expect? How hard was it? Did she regret having three kids? Was I actually crazy for wanting more than one? She replied that the best thing in life was listening to your children in the other room playing together and making each other laugh. I thought she was crazy, absolutely insane and assumed that this is what having multiple children did to you. I had already heard some of the worst stories about having two kids. People had told me how their older child wouldn't even talk to them when the new baby came home. I had heard how other moms couldn't figure out how to deal with 2 kids and how they had doubted themselves as mothers. I had heard it all and now someone I considered a great friend tells me it's the best thing in life. Yep, definitely CRAZY!! I put it aside and a few months later I had Kolby. Logan being extremely pissed off at me, check. Me not being able to split myself between 2 kids, check. Me feeling more out of control than ever, check. Me not knowing how to like Kolby, check. I mean I loved him, he was mine, but it sure wasn't that intense greater than life love at first sight. Me doubting myself as a mother, wondering what the hell I was thinking, check. Okay so I definitely went through some rough spots after Kolby was born, but I didn't know how much worse it was going to get. Nor did I actually know that the best moments were yet to come. I just fast forward here to the present, nearly 16 months since Kolby entered this family. My 2 boys are best friends and they love each other so darn much. They play together nonstop and they miss each other when they aren't together. And yes, there is nothing better than listening to the 2 of them from the other room or the front seat of my car laughing hysterically at each other. Not another moment in time could be better. And those moments when they are laughing with each other and playing so awesomely together can fix any other horrible moment. I mean don't get me wrong, they are hellians and they are rough and they can be so darn bad. And more times than not I feel like I am losing my mind and that I need some serious drugs. I feel like I am so out of control and I will never regain control of my house. I feel like I am talking to a wall and that I should be on some bizarre reality show. Life in my house can be hell, but then there are those moments when they are playing and laughing and life is perfect. I have started to think of those moments when I think what the hell was I thinking and it seems to ease the tension some. I also think that there even more awesome moments to come. I wouldn't trade these moments or the really great ones in the future for peace and quiet and control for anything. These are my moments to hold and to cherish. These are my moments that they will never know that they have given me until the day that they have their own kids. These are my moments and yes, my friend is not crazy she is perfectly sane and pretty darn awesome to realize how awesome having more than one kid is. I don't know why she didn't tell me the horrible aspects of having 2 kids that day. Maybe she knew I couldn't handle it. Maybe she knew just how bad times could get and she wanted to give me something to hold on for. I'm not sure, maybe I will never know. But I do know that her advice was the best advice I ever got. So thank you for being you and for giving me something to look for and to smile at.

Happy Halloween

The boys looked incredibly adorable as train conductors last night. As you can see from the picture they were matching right down to the red bandannas. The had a good time Trick O Treating. We went to about 10-12 houses. Eric pulled them in the red wagon and then when we were about 1/2 way up the driveway they would hop out and walk the rest of the way up. Kolby actually caught on pretty quickly. He would just follow Logan. The funniest thing was Kolby wouldn't carry his bad. He would grab it and then drag it up to the door behind him. When the people would go to put something in his bag he would turn around, drop his bag and follow Logan back to the red wagon. Too funny!

The Pledge of Allegiance

Logan surprised us today by saying the pledge. I must admit that we were rather shocked, I mean you would think that he would actually tell you that he could do this. Not Logan though, he has been able to do this for who knows how long and today I just asked if they said the pledge everyday. And Logan say "Yep, we even put our hands on our heart, just like this." And then he proceeded to say the entire pledge. WOW!!! He is learning an awful lot at school and it really is making me proud.

My Boys...

are getting so darn big. I don't have too many current photos of them together so we took advantage of the nice fall weather that we are having and went out to Pine Island and took some pictures. I got about 28 shots and maybe 5 of them turned out really well. I love a few of them more than the others, but overall I was really satisfied with the pictures. I wish there were several different places that I could take them to get photos, but there really isn't. They had a lot of fun running around and I can't believe how they always seem to run in a different direction from each other. I bet half of the pictures that I took actually only have one of them and then half of the other. This picture here is one of my favorites and actually wasn't posed. They were staring at the rocks and birds and the lack of water due to low winter tide. They just look really cute in this picture, even though you can't see their faces. Guess it is an artistic picture. Overall it was a good way to spend an hour and then we came home and made cookies.

Cookies were a whole different story. They also took about an hour or so and they were a mess. Logan had fun and that should be enough for me, but I really hate baking and he makes me so aggravated when we bake. He can't keep his little hands still and he has to do everything and I know that it is normal for his age and that I should enjoy it, but I don't. Anyways, I did the mom thing and we dyed the cookie dough to match the pumpkins and black cat and bat. So we have orange pumpkins with orange sugar sprinkles and then black cats with black sugar sprinkles and then finally black bats with purple sugar sprinkles. Tomorrow we are making white ghost and we are icing them and who knows what kind of sprinkles they will get. I guess what is important is that Logan had fun and he doesn't know how much I dread making cookies. Now when Christmas comes and we make chocolate covered pretzels and Oreos, I have a grand time. I love making that kind of stuff with him, it just baking cookies that drives me nuts. Oh well, we did and we'll do it again and again. As for now I need to go and make dinner so then I can go to work. JOY, JOY, JOY!

Kolby's Thing...

So painting is definitely Kolby's thing. After the pumpkin patch and grocery shopping we came home and let the kids at it. Logan actually likes to paint a whole lot and really gets into it, but he is really neat and worries about making a mess. And he definitely doesn't get the paint on him. Kolby on the other hand loves to paint and doesn't give a hoot about making a mess. He just got the brush and stamps and went at it. The whole kitchen floor was painted up, but who cares it came right off. What matters is that he had a great time and he was really creative. He also likes body art as you can see from the photo. He gets it all over himself and doesn't care. He actually paints himself with the brush or his hands doesn't matter to him. I love that he is so carefree when he is painting. It means that he is using his creative side and gets in the zone. Maybe, just maybe, one of my kids pulled some creative jeans from me. Anyways, just wanted to share what Kolby is doing these days.

Pumpkin Patches, Pumpkin Smashing...

Now just try and tell me Logan isn't having a "SMASHING" good time. We went to the pumpkin patch this morning and got some cute pictures, but none that rival this one. I am not sure how I got such an awesome shot of him hitting the pumpkin, but it is really cool. The face, the legs, the bat hitting the pumpkin just right. Okay so he didn't really do anything to the pumpkin, but if I didn't tell you and you weren't there you wouldn't know any better. It looks like he beat the crap out of that pumpkin. Kolby & Logan also played in the patch a bit and then Logan went and rode the pony. I hope those pictures came out cute, but they are on my mom's camera and I won't see them for a while I am sure. Logan also went to the bounce house and jumped around for a bit. That is always his favorite thing to do. I guess that explains why he is so skinny. Kolby on the other hand got hot, made us take off his shirt and pitched a fit like normal. Outside in the heat is just not his thing, KWIM? Take a look at my next post to see what Kolby's thing is...

Kolby's 1st Haircut

Today Kolby got his first real haircut. I am so happy with how it turned out. The lady did a great job. She layered up the back like a little boy's hair should be, trimmed over his ears, and evened up the top. He looks so darn cute. I am a little sad to see the baby curls go away, but I have a feeling that his hair is just going to have some curl to it so maybe we will see them again. I am also a little sad because now he looks like such a big boy and I can't stand it. I mean I know he's not a baby anymore, but knowing that he is my last I wanted him to stay little forever. I guess we don't always get what we want.

"My 3 best girls"

Do you know who the 3 best girls are? Probably not, as it is Eric & I are just getting to meet the 3 best girls. These are Logan's imaginary friends. They go everywhere with him and the best thing, all 3 of them fit in the palm of his hand or in his pocket. When he goes to school they stay in this bookbag, except yesterday when they ran away and he had to find them on the playground. He didn't think it was too funny, although the 3 best girls were laughing. Logan said it made him nervous that he couldn't find them because they are so tiny that someone could step on them. Lucky for Logan the 3 best girls are really good when he gives them their bath and no one splashes. Huh, wish he would take a lesson or so from them. They also like to eat anything, but when it comes to clothes they tend to be a little picky and will only were the same thing everyday. As you can see Logan's imagination is working wonderfully and he is really able to create and explain what he is creating. The weird thing is that if you ask him about the 3 best girls he will tell you that they are his imgination at work. He is just a little too smart for himself. Other than this Logan is doing great in school and really loves it. He is being really good and gets a sticker everyday. Both Ms. Donna & Mrs. Brenda love Logan to death and he seems to have made a lot of friends. I am really glad that he is growing and learning and loving it.

The Gingerbread Man & Crayons...

On Monday Logan was "The Gingerbread Man" at school. He was really excited and kept running around yelling "Run Run as fast you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man" And then he would just giggle like crazy and run all around in circles. He said that none of the kids could eat him and that when the little boy opened the oven he jumped out so fast and ran away. His report for the day said he did a great job pretending to be the gingerbread man. Good thing the report mentioned this because even though he as was very he didn't say a word to me until I asked him about it. Then of course he was so excited that he couldn't contain himself.

Logan's new thing about school when I ask him things is to reply with "But mommy, that's my secret, I don't want you to know" So now he is keeping his own things private. Who knows maybe one day he will bust out with all of his secrets and tell me all these wonderful things. Until then I at least know that he likes school because he likes to get there early so he can help his teacher. But I also know he misses me, because when I get there to pick him up he runs up to me and gives me lots of hugs and kisses.

Kolby got his first set of crayons yesterday and has been busy at making lots of masterpieces. I got him some really, really big crayons so that he stops eating them and breaking them. So far he likes to color for about 5 mins and then we move onto the next thing. He is getting better at communicating with me, even if he isn't speaking yet. I do think that he tries to say words and phrases but we just don't understand him, so I have started that if he sounds like he has said something that makes sense then I answer him correctly and repeat what I think he has said. It seems that this is working and that maybe some of the things he says are becoming clearer. He is really enjoying the days without Logan and having mommy all to himself. In fact I have to run because right now he is looking for me and wanting me to play with him. Later.

"Oh I can't remember"

So Logan just finished his third week of school. It's really only the second week that he has gone, but the third week of class. He was really sick last week with a terrible cough & cold so he stayed home all week. He still isn't better, but he is at least eating and behaving a little better. Both are a sure sign that he is on the road to recovery. He went ahead and shared his sickness with Kolby, who in turn shared his sickness with Eric & myself. So if you are wondering why I haven't written in a while there's your answer.

I wish I could share with you what Logan is doing at school. I am sure that you are interested and would love to know. Unfortunately the little boy who never stops talking (that's Logan) doesn't have anything to say about school. When I question him and ask him some different things that are on the calendar that the school sends home, he just says "Oh I can't remember." Yeah right, Logan can remember things from a year ago and he wants me to believe that he can't remember what he did 10 mins before I pick him up. Anyways who would have thought that I would have to drag information out of him. Eric assures me that with time he will tell us more and more about school. Every now and then I hear him singing an unfamiliar song and he will briefly tell me about it and how he learned it at school and then all of sudden he stops and says "Oh I can't remember" like if he is part of some secret society and he has made a promise not to tell anyone what they learn or do. Sometimes when he is really talkative he will say something like "Oh we did dot art in the messy room..." and then he just trails off really quietly and I can barely hear him and I already know not to ask because the answer is always the same "Oh I can't remember". I guess for now I will have to be content with his little lapse in memory when he actually shares the part of his day that I am no longer a part of. For now it is all I have from this part of his life.

Kolby is still pretty sick, but he is eating which means his ear infection is getting better. He is getting really big & smart. Now that Logan is in school he has time that he has desperately needed since he was born. He has needed time just the 2 of us. Not because I don't like Logan to be around, but just a baby needs that time with their mommy or daddy and unfortunately for Kolby he was the second born and he just hasn't gotten as much time as I think he may have needed. You can really see his brain working now that Logan isn't around to do everything for him. He plays a lot more on his own, because he is exploring and seeing what his toys can do. He is a lot more inquisitive and is always asking things in his own way and seeking answers from me. He has advanced so much in the pass couple of weeks, it amazes me in many ways.

I have to admit that after having Logan and it being just the 2 of us for 3 years Kolby seemed a little boring when he was born. I was like come on just do something. I have even wondered how I ever survived this stage with Logan because it has been somewhat boring. I had forgotten how interesting life becomes when your baby gets just a little older and starts to explore and realize concepts like up/down, on/off or when they really start to understand you. The 2 of you develop your own language and the world around you becomes something new to explore and then suddenly you remember how to see the world through your baby's eyes and you see it with all of this wonder and amazement. I think this may be one of the best stages in life. And I am so excited that I am going to go through it all again and this time it is a different baby so it will be all new and different from the last time.

I know at the end of really hard days, those kind of days you wonder why you had kids in the first place, this new wonder and amazement remind me not only why I had 2 kids, but why I wanted to be a stay at home mom. So as much as I miss Logan and I am sad that he is growing up and has started pre school, another part of me is so excited that he is growing up and starting pre school because now I get to have all these great experiences with Kolby and we get to have so much fun and have our special time, just the two of us.

Without A Doubt...

Kolby FINALLY started to walk all of the time. That's today though, who knows what he will do tomorrow. But today, he has walked all day long, everywhere we go, all by himself, without anyone telling him to. Who knows maybe his knees started to get sore. I am just glad that he is walking. I mean it's about time. He has been able to walk since he was 11 months old. I mean really walk, like take 10 steps at a time or walk across our living room. He has just refused to do it. Like on his birthday for instance, he walked with our instigation and a little on his own and then for maybe the next couple of days, but after that back to crawling 24/7 even when we tried to make him walk. So today I get up with the boys and I am sitting on the couch half a sleep and Logan says "Look mommy, Kolby sure is walking a lot" and I turn around and sure enough Kolby is walking through the whole kitchen in circles. I say to myself, okay maybe he wants to try something new. So for the rest of the day he keeps walking everywhere. Even when he falls he crawls to the closet spot to pull himself back up and starts walking again. So HOORAY for Kolby!

And today we went to the dr.'s with Logan. He is sick. Of course he is sick, he started school a week ago. He has a pretty nasty cough & cold. The dr. gave him some meds and hopefully it will start getting better in the next couple of days. He had to stay home today because school wouldn't let him go if he is coughing and a runny nose without a note. So I got my note from the dr. and hopefully they let him stay tomorrow. I just knew it wouldn't take long for him to get sick, but I did think at least a month or so. Geez, what are we going to do when flu season rolls around? Oh well, at least he was disappointed to miss school today. That is a really good thing since last week he didn't want to go. At least I know that he likes it, even if he doesn't admit it.

Make sure you visit the picture link on the side. I uploaded some new pictures. Mainly Aug, Kolby's birthday, & Logan's first day of school. The site is really cool. My mom is paying for it for the year. We can have unlimited uploads and space. Every page can have a different theme and you can customize it the way you want. You don't have to change the size of your pictures to upload them and someone else, you for instance, can download them to your computer at the full size, not some blurry thumbnail. You can have the pictures printed from the site or print from your machine. The best part is that he pictures are backed up on three different servers, so no losing your pictures here. And to top it all off the site is super user friendly. Once you upload you can move them around and do whatever with just a couple of simple clicks. I basically taught myself as I was doing it and never read a help tutorial. If you like the site let me know, because I can give you a code so that you can save some money when you sign up.

Well that's it for now, I am sure there will be more tomorrow. I mean I have 2 boys, how could there not be more tomorrow? Same place, same time.

As promised...

Here is finally a spot where you can come and read about the boys. I am going to try and do my best to keep this updated, but remember if they are doing cute things for me to post about then most likely they are keeping me pretty busy. I am going to try hard to do this daily, but to start I am going to aim for a couple of times a week. So here is the first official post of the boys blog. Just to update you Logan is sick. He has some sort of nasty cough and I am thinking that he is going to the doctors tomorrow because school won't let me bring him unless he has a note saying that the cough is not contagious. I actually think that it might be allergies so I guess we will have to see. Kolby who is deathly scared of thunder slept like crap last night because it rained and thundered all night. But then again he hasn't slept well in like a month, so who knows if it was really thunder. So that was our night.