Family Time Weekend

This weekend we managed to find a lot of quality family time.  Friday night we went to Country Adventures with our play group.  The boys enjoyed playing with the animals and their friends, the long hay ride, hot dog dinner and roasting marshmallows.  Then playing in the dark in the sand and dirt.  They were sticky and dirty, true signs of a fun night!!

Saturday I had the pleasure of "quality time" with Josh.  As in helping him build the garage!  He had one guy to help, but putting up the trusses is at least a three person job.  So I was volunteered.  And I must say I did pretty well.  It took a while to get into a groove, but we got a lot done.  It should only take one more day to put up the rest of the trusses.  The biggest challenge of this part of the day was keeping the boys out of trouble while we worked!!  They did get very dirty and had lots of fun, but no injuries and no potty accidents for Sean while under extreme minimal supervision is definitely a major success!!

Then Saturday after naps we went to Oktoberfest here in town.  It was so much fun.  The boys loved watching the dancers and dancing themselves.  They played in the bounce houses.  They played on the playground.  They ATE!!  We ate and drank.  It truly is a wonderful family event.

And then today it was yard work day.  Josh mowed and edged.  I weeded the garden.  The boys played and "helped" us.  We had a picnic for lunch.  The boys now like to take their lunch up the treehouse!

The rest of the day the boys played and napped.  I cleaned and cooked and did laundry.  Jack got a new tire on his bike (he wore through the last one skidding too much).  He is thrilled!!  He missed riding his bike for nearly two weeks now.

So now we are unwinding and getting ready for another crazy week.  Our big boy turns five on Thursday.  Where does the time go??

Jack in the covered wagon

 

Fun with friends

 

More fun

 

Taking a break near the animals

 

Sean peering down over the fence at the pot bellied pigs

 

Listening the the engine roar on the tractor

 

Sean being silly with the baby pumpkins

 

 

Goofball Daddy!!

Sean and his girlfriend

 

Sticky gooey marshmallow goodness!!

Flashback Friday - October 2010

 

 

Flashback Friday - October 2009

Time to get in the Halloween spirit!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Productive Weekend

Josh is really testing my "handy" skills.  Saturday he recruited ME, as in not a bunch of big and strong men, to put up the first truss on the garage.  It is a good thing the boys can't take video and post to you tube!  It was quite the sight to be seen.

My dear sweet husband is rather tall, and I am not.  So when he started raising the truss he could go much faster than me.  He would keep going and I could not reach any higher!  Somehow we managed to get it up, but just as we thought we were about done we could tell it was going to fall.  Needless to say we ran back and out of the way!  Luckily it did not fall all the way to the ground, just back to the original position of hanging upside down.

At least this time I knew to find a different position and we got it up a little better.  Not came the "harder part".  ME holding it up for what seemed like AGES!!  Josh would get on the ladder only to discover it was not centered.  So he had to get the sledge hammer and move it.  I'm STILL holding it!  Then he had to put up some supports for it, moving the ladder and changing positions.  I don't know how long it was, but my shoulder was sore and I had had it.  In the end, we got it up, and three days later it is still up!!  I do not intend to help with the rest of the trusses!!!

The other project for the weekend was cutting down the willow trees around the deck.  This was a job the boys loved.  They helped hold the rope and pull the tree away from the house while Josh was at work with the chain saw.  They cheered when they helped pull the trees down.

The best part for them, however, was riding in the Stick of Butter (aka OLD RUSTY Subaru wagon) and pulling the trees to the side of the road.  They huddled in the back seat together and were screaming because they were so excited.  They also all got to take a turn sitting in Daddy's lap and "driving". 

Quite the backyard this weekend!!

Maybe someday we will have grass again.

I will work on garage pictures, but in the background you can see the

truss we put up!!!

The Stick of Butter hauling away the felled trees.

 

Three very excited boys!!

My Fashionista

I was working on updating Jack's Amazon wish list now that his birthday is coming up.  He was watching over my should and asking if he could get everything I was picking out, mostly pajamas, jeans, shoes and some other clothes. 

My big guy is quite obsessed with clothes and shoes.  Hopefully somebody will get him some or will be disappointed!!  I'm sure we will get him a few things he wants, just not sure what yet.  We already ordered him a bunch of books from school.  He really loves to read which is great.

Unfortunately, my fashionista now has an opinion too.  That means he won't always wear what I want him to wear!  Ah, I miss this good old days!!  This afternoon we were picking out clothes for school pictures tomorrow he at least he agreed with what I picked out.  It was not easy finding something for all three boys that they would agree upon and matched (they will also all get their pictures taken together).

Flashback Friday - September 2009

The boys recently rediscovered this alligator push toy in the garage and are storming around with it again!

Ewan

Potty Training

We are now on day 10 of potty training Sean and it is going pretty well.  Yesterday was completely accident free (assuming you do not count when his aim is bad and he gets is shorts wet anyway)!   He likes being a big boy and using the potty.  He is still a little unreliable telling us if he needs to go or not.

The biggest challenge is going to the gym or out and about.  Since he is young he is still a little small for a full size toilet.  That makes it a little challenging to go out and get him to use the bathroom elsewhere.  We have been to the gym twice this week though and not had any accidents there!!  YEAH!  No accidents at nap time either.

We are more old school compared to most people these days who potty train.  We do no believe in pull ups.  Either you are training in underwear or not at all.  I know far too many children who take a long time to grasp the concept of potty training because they wear pull ups.  Now he does wear a diaper at night, but only because he is still young.  The studies I have read suggest wearing a diaper at night for about 3 months when they train around age two.  We did this with Jack and Ewan and it worked well.  Again, I know many children who are still in pull ups until age four or even five.

This is what works for us.  Obviously it does not work for everyone else.  It takes commitment and patience (we all know I have NO PATIENCE)!  In the end, however, I find that it works the best.  Besides, I was already able to get rid of all Sean's cloth diapers....which meant taking one of his dressers out of his room and putting it in my closet!!  Plus, now I can sell the cloth diapers.

Congrats to my big boy!!