brotherhood

I developed about 700 photos this week of our life from October on. I have done zero scrapbooking since becoming a mother. But I do have a cupboard full of scrapbooking supplies. In the meantime I purchased some albums for the kids to have access to the photos. To look back at thier lives. To remember to fun.
Going through the photos, I saw a brotherhood develop. It is so much fun to watch the boys grow together. They are brother's. I hope forever but that is a different kind of post.
I often catching myself during my days just standing by and watching them. It does my heart good. CO has become a great big brother. He still has his controlling and rough moments. But on the most part he looks out for J and very much want to include J in everything he is doing. They still have thier moments of sibling rivalry and where they are spitting mad at eachother, but I think that is part of being family as the anger doesn't last, and they are happy together again. Part of the problem they face is the fact that J is only 2 and can't and shouldn't do everything that CO does. Another part of the problem is that CO is impulsive and doesn't necessarily know his own strength.
I love to hear them laugh, play and sing together. I love walking into a room and seeing them snuggling together reading a book. I love that CO will be a clown to make J laugh or vise versa. I love to watch them run around using their imaginations together.
This past week while cutting the grass (I drive the ride on tractor and the boys ride in the trailer behind), the boys were travelling with the sticks in the back (while cutting, I'll put fallen branches and sticks in the wagon, and then at the end we'll drive to the campfire pit and unload) and I could hear the boys using the sticks to hunt (like we were on a safari or something).

I love that it takes little to entertain them. That they can play together for hours. That they love to just be outside and free without having to be my shadow. I have loved watching thier brotherhood develop this past year.

park fun

CO's Nana and Papa have a park just a short walk from thier house. We went daily. Sometimes more. Here is a couple of shots from the park.

J walked a side step around and around this sandbox

CO was very excited that he could reach and do this part of the park this visit.

pottery painting

We just returned from our Easter Vacation. One of the days we were away, CO's Nana took us to paint pottery. The boys did AMAZING! They were quite focused and loved it. We have yet to see our final product but will get to see it next time we visit with CO's grandparents.

there is a lid for every pot

I was watching a movie at work this past month and someone said the line 'there is a lid for every pot' in reference to people and thier mates.
I like the concept. But I am not sure I agree with it.

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Easter is just around the corner. I have done maybe 2% of all the things I wanted to do leading up to Easter with the boys. I hope to fit in a couple of things tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow morning we are due at the dentist bright and early. CO is getting a 'robot' put in. (story behind the robot: a couple of weeks ago, CO was WAILING because he had a piece of carrot stuck between his molars, I flossed it out and the wailing con't. After 3 days of putting a teething gel on it, we made it to the dentist only to discover that the tooth was broken and a chunk missing. SO, we ended up having to get it pulled as it wasn't worth saving. And tomorrow they are putting a spacer in to keep the space open for when his new molar is due to grow in sometime around age 11...sigh). The robot's name is 'spacer' and it's job is to not let his teeth be lonely and try to grow closer together because if they do, there will be no room for his new tooth. When you are four, calling it a robot is WAY cooler and less scary than a bunch of wire and brackets.

Here is CO with his bubblegum smelling nose just before the tooth got pulled.

After the dentist, we are due to swing by the dr. so J can get his needle that he didn't have to get because he had a cold the last time he was at the doctors. (cute story for that day...we were in the truck driving the the app't and CO says to J 'you are going to get a needle J, but just be brave like Daniel and it will be ok because God is with you!'. It made this mama's heart swell with pride.)

After the doctor, we need to run a bunch of errands to pick up a few last minute things needed for our trip to the nation's capital. We leave Tuesday morning and will be gone just over one week. I am SO excited to get away. I am hoping the travel with the two little ones goes smoothly.  We will travel in the morning. Travelling at night with CO doesn't seem to work as he doesn't sleep in the truck when I want him to, only when it is just before nap time and I am rushing to get home so he can go to sleep :)
The plan is to take our time, stop lots, bring lots of snacky foods and try to not go insane. It would have been nice to have a new 'adventures in odessey' but I didn't get it ordered in time. Luckily the boys love to listen to the first two of the series that we have over and over again.

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Our family has grown!!!

meet

chicky stew (black) and chicky soup (white)

CO was very excited about our recent addition. He even temporarily changed his name to 'chicken farmer'.

 It is his job to let the in and out of the house each day, and to make sure they have food and water. The added bonus is that we have gotten two eggs already!

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last week's lesson learned:

don't pee in the wind!!!!!!!!!   

 :)