It's in his smile : ) Yep, there's those two little teethers.

I've been trying to get a shot of those two chompers. They are so cute. Now Tyler has this little offset smile where he juts out his chin. What a cutie. He is so proud of himself because he broke into Ryan's box of bowling pins. I swear that kid already wants whatever Ryan is in to. Poor Tyler's knees are raw from trying to cruise along in shorts. Jim is convinced he'll be walking in a month. We'll see.

Notice Life Today: Ryan is getting more independent. On weekend mornings he comes downstairs all by himself when he wakes up. He doesn't just call from the top of the stairs anymore.

A Memorable Holiday

We had an enjoyable weekend. On Monday, we paid tribute to the troops, listened to memories, and honored our country's history at the Memorial Day Parade. It is a great country.

Notice life today: Tyler is scooting along determined to get toys, cords, or anything just within reach. Of course, you can see the determination in his eyes and soon he will be scooting, walking, running for anything within eye reach.

Fun Poppers

Have you every played with poppers? They are so much fun...even for adults. Just throw them down or stomp on them and you'll hear a loud pop. Ryan was having alot of fun making Tyler laugh with all of the excitement.

Have a great holiday. I get Friday and Monday off. We're planning on a little cleaning and a lot of fun.

Good Manners

I can't resist this little guy. He is so darn cute. Ryan and Tyler get each other laughing and I can't figure out who is cuter or who is funnier! Ryan is getting a touch of the sassy-ness which really drives me crazy but I did want to make note of an action that made me really proud of Ryan yesterday. Ryan was trying to reach a toy and required him to step over Tyler. Ryan says "Excuse me Tyler," while he ever-so-carefully stepped over his baby brother. It was a really sweet toddler voice and was uncoached. Good manners make us proud Ryan. He loves his baby brother so much.

Notice life today: Tyler is really trying to join in the conversations. He is trying to mimic sounds that Ryan makes. Mostly they are little screams or shouts, but they always seem to follow Ryan's voice.

Mushroom huntin and visit to see Papa Harry's tree

Jim and Ryan went mushroom hunting on my mom's farm property. We planted this crab apple tree two years ago in memory of my dad. It is blooming so pretty right now. Jim took a picture of Ryan standing near. I love the result.

Notice life today: Although my Jim is very quiet for the most part, and is so go-with-the-flow, it is interesting to see him talk about his passions. He loves the idea of mushroom hunting and his eyes get really big and sparkly whenever he speaks of an adventure. This year, he's hardly been able to go just because we've been hanging with the boys. The other morning, he went on a hunt after the boys and I left for school. He found some loot!! Good job Jimmy. YMmmmm Mushroommms.

Army Crawl

He's doing an army crawl!! Tyler can move across the room in no time flat, that is...if there is a cord or toy or something he is not supposed to have. He is determined. I promise to post some pictures soon.

Notice life today:
Tyler pivots his head like an owl when he wants to see what Ryan is doing or where the cat is going. He doesn't want to miss a thing.

just so i don't let life pass by....

I'm trying to focus. To keep up. To not feel so...overwhelmed?! I'm trying to feel inspired and to notice stuff. To live. To be in the moment more. To stop. It doesn't have to get done right now. Listen. Watch. Learn. (I know I am rambling, but it may just be the only way I can capture my thoughts!) I want to add a feature to my blog of things that I am noticing. They may not be big deal milestones, but they are a part of my life that i want to notice and remember. I'm going to try to post one every day.

Notice life today:
Ryan is really noticing numbers. He is constantly reciting numbers he sees on clocks, temperature gauges, road signs, advertisements, uniforms, radios, food packaging, etc. He notices everything. I always say "Good eyes, buddy!"

Reflection

I had to take Tyler to the Med Station as he was quite boogery and congested. He was given an antibiotic. In order to protect the other children at day care, it is advised that a child stays home until he has been treated by antibiotic for 24 hours. Sooo...today, Tyler is spending the day with Aunt Wendy (thank you, thank you, thank you). I woke up this morning with a feeling of terrible guilt because I want to be home taking care of my little guy. Unfortunately, we have a new and very strict attendance policy at work. Plus, I have been so terribly busy that I just couldn't miss today.

You have all heard me blog and talk about how much more difficult it is to keep up with everyday life with two kids, full time jobs, and full time chores. This morning, we let Tyler sleep in because Jim didn't have to get him to Wendy until 8 a.m. We got Ryan and all of the bags around and actually had a few moments to sit and play. What a weird feeling.

Ryan was sad when he learned that Tyler would not be going to school today. I explained that Tyler need extra sleep today as he wasn't feeling well. Ryan agreed and we said we looked forward to after school when we could catch up with our buddy. The ride to Adrian was really quiet. There was no loud banter between the boys, no giggles, no blanket tossing in the back seat. And it felt really weird passing off only one boy to Miss Char today. We all missed our little guy. I'm relishing this moment as a reminder that life is busy and sometimes a bit overwhelming. Chores don't get done by themselves. Responsibilities don't let up, but I am blessed with this sweet little family. Without them, my life isn't complete. I wouldn't change a thing.

Chompers!

My buddy Tyler is getting ready to chomp! He has two cute little teeth sticking out of his bottom gums. We had an enjoyable weekend that includes getting our boat in the water! Ryan wanted to go for a ride the second Daddy pulled up to shore. It is such a relaxing pasttime. Tyler fell asleep withing 5 minutes and I stayed on the boat even after docking it to let him enjoy a long nap.



Ryan and I are working on clearing a rock bed at our house. We need a place for a swing or a picnic table in the front yard while we play in the grass. (Just what we needed, another project.) Meanwhile, our decks are screaming for some attention. Hopefully we can wrap up some projects soon.



The rest of the weekend was filled with steak dinner (YUMMM), video games, visits with friends, and some chores before relaxing. The weekend ended with a perfect night of 3 stories, cookies for snacks, and night night kisses with no arguments. Life is good.


Here's a picture of the boys bicycle adventure. Ryan even shared his blanket. Tyler leaned on Ryan the whole ride and Ryan never complained.