Uno!

When we were at Target picking up Colin's antibiotics prescription, I found a "My First Uno" game. Instead of being for ages 7+, it was for 3+ and they had a Thomas deck! The only differences are that the cards themselves are bigger, there are less cards, there are no skip or reverse cards, and there are characters on the cards so that they don't have to know their numbers-- they can match the characters.

I played with Gavin, but when Colin got up from his nap, he wanted him to play as well. So I put him in the Bumbo with the tray and it worked out wonderfully to hold the cards.

I thought that this shot was perfect! Colin's even looking at his cards!



Gavin picking out his Percy card to match to the Percy in the discard pile. See him pointing to it?



I told Gavin that he needed to show Colin how to play. I love that Gavin wants to include Colin in most everything!

Zombie Boys

I have had a heck of past six weeks. Gavin has had a fever and ear infection, a fever and sore throat, then they both got pink eye! My red eyed three year old reminded me of a zombie.



Colin had it, too, but not nearly as bad as Gavin.



Then Colin had a fever for days, and a terrible inexplicable cough. It sounded like Pertussis (whooping cough), but he had already had three vaccinations for it. The doctor said she would think it was Pertussis if he had only had one vaccine, but not with three. He even got a treatment of albuterol using the nebulizer, in case it was asthma, but it didn't seem to help. He did, however, have an ear infection in one ear, so he is taking antibiotics now for that. What a cruddy way to start the summer!

Silly Shoes!

I can dress myself!

Today Gavin was going pee in the bathroom and I brought him a shirt and jeans to wear. I dropped them in the doorway of the bathroom and told him to put them on. I went and did something around the house and a few minutes later, (much to my surprise), he had dressed himself!!!! I know that's not all that exciting for most of you, but it's great for me: one more step in his development.

He was playing "ostrich" for the camera again!



I had to take a picture because he put his jeans on backwards!!!



Mr. String Bean. You can see that he is definitely tall and thin...look at those ribs!



I finally caught his face when his arms were in between times of covering his head! Every time I took a shot he'd cover his head back up with his shirt!



On a funny side note: We went out to run errands and when we got back he went into go pee in the bathroom while I was getting lunch ready. He then came out wearing his pajama top! Lately he has been loving to strip down every time he goes to the bathroom. The good news is that he hasn't had a pee accident in a while during the day and he now takes himself to the bathroom. The bad news is that he still likes to poop in his pants. My friend said that I need to make it more work for him. Have him put his own poop in the potty and change his own clothes, etc. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Cloth Baby Wipes

This is a project of mine that was easy to carry out and implement, so I actually finished one!!! A website I was looking at said that if you are using cloth diapers, you should do cloth wipes as well because the wipes usually end up in the diapers and you can wash them along with your diapers. That site was selling cloth wipes for something outrageous like $13 for 12 or something. So, I decided to make my own using an old towel we had. I borrowed Jessica's surger and cut rectangles out of the towel. They didn't all come out perfectly, but I now have 18 wipes--folded in half they fit nicely into a single wipes box! I decided for this round of wipes to make the solution in a spray bottle and then spray it on as I need it. I haven't done it yet, so I don't know how practical it will be (since right now I have the spray bottle on top of the TV so Gavin doesn't get it.) I can also premoisten the wipes in the box which I will try if spraying each time is too much of a hassle. I found the solution recipe online at this natural baby care website. I made the first option listed using Aveeno natural oatmeal baby wash. If I end up premoistening the wipes I will probably add the tea tree oil listed in the second recipe since Jessica told me it is used as an antifungal--I will want to keep my wipes from molding, that's for sure!!!

The training has begun...

...for my first half marathon! I joined a training group last weekend--the price included the entry fee. The race is on October 17. I don't know that I will ever run another or do a marathon, we shall see how this one goes. Wish me luck, please! (I need it in both training and the race, as I am not always that motivated to run, especially on days when I would have to do it without my running groups).

I can feed myself now!

Colin woke up from his nap cranky and I nursed him. He was still cranky and my friend, Dori, was over and said to me that maybe he wanted more to eat and that rice crackers are good for him to feed himself. I hadn't even thought of feeding him those yet. He loved them and at the whole package (two crackers)!

Gavin's Antics

Gavin says, "It's empty." (He had eaten a bunch of grapes and they were all gone. I am glad to know he has learned the word empty and understands its meaning, even if he used it in an unusual manner, I thought it was cute.)



I was hanging laundry and Gavin pulled down his pillowcase. He proceeded to get into it and then put his shoes back on...he was even walking around in it!

More Cutie Colin

Love the food face!



My poor baby got sick after Gavin did. He had a fever, but it went away more quickly than Gavin's did.



Too bad the strap was in the way, this turned out to be the best pic showing that he is starting to like the jumper more.





This picture cracks me up. Gavin had left a whisk on the floor that he picked up in the kitchen and Colin somehow got his pacifier caught in it.



Yum!



His shirt says, "Wishes do come true."



A lady from church gave us a couple of baby things, this purple bumbo and the musical gym in the subsequent shots. Thanks!

Gavin gave his brother some fake food and a hug. Gotta love the bacon pineapple combo platter.

My Two Sons

It was a complete coincidence that the two boys wound up with matching shirts. The one Colin is wearing I had bought when Gavin was a baby and the one Gavin is wearing was a hand me down from someone.

It's my fault that most of these are kind of blurry. I had left the camera on the wrong setting! They are still cute, though.







Oh what a difference the correct setting makes!

Gavin's Birthday Party!

We canceled Gavin's birthday party when he had an ear ache and ironically he got sick again the week of his party this time! I figured people wouldn't want to plan on coming if I canceled it again, so we went on with it. In the week before the party he ran a fever of up to 102 and had a sore throat. It wasn't strep, though, thank goodness. Got him on antibiotics a couple of days prior and he was doing better by the party. We had over family and Gavin's friend, Matthew. Having over the whole local family is a party in itself!











The big boys got water balloons ready for a balloon toss. Thanks guys!







One of the games Philip planned was a cup stacking contest.



Philip showed off...







The kids also did some bowling with cups and tennis balls. My dad played with Gavin.



Brooke had fun building with the cups by herself!



Philip thought it would be good to do three banana bunches because he was three years old. I thought it would be cute to stick the candles in the bunches.







You can see Curious George on the plates by the cake.



My dad also had fun building with the cups.



So did Gavin.



Then my dad let him knock it down! Love the action shot!





Nathan got silly with this box.



Present time! A vet set.



Aunt Natalie found "Colin the crane" from the Thomas and friends set. How fun is that?!



He got a couple of more books and a play set.



A couple of pairs of pj's.



And from mom and dad a George game, (I forgot to wrap them in all my preparations for the party, oops, well...he didn't care.)



a George coloring book,



and George bandages.



Thanks to Uncle Jon and Aunt Jessica for letting us have his party in the back yard and lending us stuff.

Thanks everyone for coming and for the presents and for making his birthday special again this year!