Easton @ 20 months

Our little Easty Bubbas is 20 months old as of August 16th.

I couldn’t even tell you how big he is since his last doctors check up.  He is still in 24 months clothes.  He just moved from size 4 to size 5 shoes.

I do know that his hair is still as curly cued as ever! Just one of the many things that add to his charming self.

 

These days he is loving cartoons more, the outdoors, he loves to climb and I have caught him swinging and doing acrobatics from tables and chairs in the house.  He has no fear when it comes to the edges of pools and playgrounds.  He will walk right up and jump off if I wasn’t there.  He tries at the park all the time and my heart literally sinks in my stomach.  As for the pool we have remedied that by just letting him JUMP.  We try to make family days of it at the indoor pool and Easton loves to jump to us and float and go under.

I can’t believe how big he is getting and maturing into ALL things toddler and boy (not baby anymore) so quickly. 

It would be nice to take a zero off, rewind time and see the little two month old again. Slow Down Please!

 

He is saying “No” a lot and he still throws his food.  He will even swat at you when he’s angry.  He has even been known to stick up for his brothers by telling us “No” when they are getting in trouble or swatting at me when they are getting in trouble.  I swear I am not going to know what to do with all their testosterone together one day.

 

He is still sucking his thumb and more recently he is putting his other hand down his pants.  I told Brad we need to get him to stop sucking his thumb and he said, I quote, “No, we don’t! What’s cuter than Easton with his thumb in his mouth and his hand on his junk.”  I don’t know Brad, let’s think?! hmmmmm.  A lot of things are cuter than that! The things I deal with around here. This phase will pass but for now I am putting him in as many rompers that will still fit him so he has no access.  Even his pajamas are one piece.  I also can no longer lay him down with just a diaper.  He has figured out a few months ago how to take that off.  I have set him on the toilet a few times but he just sits there and nothing happens.

 

Currently he is really into reading books.  Right when he wakes up he gets down and says “book” and hands me one to read.  Then he plops down in my lap. I guess it is a good thing because he really is in a “sponge” phase.  He is saying new words left and right these days.  As much as he learns new words it is still always nice and so sweet to hear that baby babbling he does while talking or playing.  He has a lot to say in his sweet little voice!

 

One of his fears right now is dogs barking.  He likes dogs and is intrigued by them but is also a little scared of them.  So he has been seen walking up to a friends dog and petting them and then immediately crying a running away if they move in the slightest.

He is just so great, easy going, happy go lucky…..…until he’s not! He will let you know when he’s had it.

 

So, that’s it for now.  We’ve had it until 21 months (If Mommy remembers)!

As I am typing this Jacks Big Music Show is on and Easton is stomping his feet to the beat and I can hear him say “Dum diddy Dum de dum de dum day!”

Last Week’s Update

 

Last Tuesday, Brad gave Gavin a haircut.  It took him a while and he was very frazzled by the end.  He was very precise and the end result turned out great. A lot better than after leaving a Great Clips the past two times. Gavin does not like getting his hair cut and even with all my tricks he just cant hang long enough for the women to finish or clean up the mistakes. At least with Daddy he was forced to stay put until Brad cleaned up all the messed up areas. Gavin did good but no matter what I do he still gets hair on him and then starts to get antsy, then “Sit still” is said one too many times and tears begin.

On Wednesday afternoon Bradley had swim class and when we got back Mimi, Dunka, Bella, Holden and Uncle Billy had arrived! They came for one night on Mimi and Dunka’s cross country trip to move back to California officially. Billy and the kids were being dropped off at Granddad's to drive an RV camper home.

 

They boys still love their little fort/blocks corner.

 

Kids and their electronics.  Eventually, Bella taught Bradley how to play Solitaire on Mimi’s laptop.

Before bed getting the “silly’s” out with Uncle Billy.

 

I’m not sure who needed to get the “silly’s” out more.  The boys or Billy?!

 

Some of their Grandbabies.  Missing Madelyn (who wanted to have Mommy alone time so stayed back) and Stella.

 

        

The boys of the family!

They had to leave early the next morning to get on the road if they were going to make good time driving cross country. It was short but there visit was sweet!

After that we just got back to our normal week here. Knocking out the schoolwork.  This was a shape collage project and Bradley pulled the “square” out of the drawing.  He chose to cut all his own squares and use them to practice writing his numbers.  He fit only 25 on there and titled it Power Numbers, “because numbers have power!”

We stayed busy going to the gym and going to Bradley’s swim class.  It’s funny because Bradley is the one in class and I have no pictures of him, only Gavin.  I let Gavin swim on the ramp while we wait. I learned my lesson when I took him to Bradley’s first swim class and he jumped in with all his clothes on.  So, we go in our bathing suits now, ready to jump in!

On Saturday, I took Bradley to the doctors to discover he has swimmers ear. You know, from swim class, mentioned above.  Sheesh! So, here he is before school this week.  Taking 10 minutes of laying down and letting his drops work. He had to sit out of swimming Monday but we will be back at it tomorrow after school.

  

We went to the park on Saturday after the doctors and naps. I should have taken a picture but I was the coolest Mom ever and rode Bradley’s scooter all the way around the track with Gavin on his scooter.  It was fun.  Which, also, I have been dreaming of a Hula Hoop lately, I want one for my birthday! They take you back to your youth and the boys don’t have one yet.  Even if they can’t master the hip action right away then there are tons of other uses!  The possibilities are endless! ha-ha! 

 

Easton kept pointing to get on Bradley’s bike.  Stop wanting to grow up so fast!!!

                 

Sunday was a hang out day with Daddy and church.  Daddy left Monday to go out of town for work again.  It has been consistently every other week he has been traveling.  Good for the money but tough on us as a family.           

That is about it. More of the same going on this week!                  

Mommy Volunteers

On Monday I volunteered in Bradley’s Kindergarten class. I had a lot of fun and it was an enlightening experience.  Prior to I was having a little anxiety about sending Bradley off to school and just getting used to having one of my children (not me) in the public school system.  In the beginning it definitely feels like a drastic change from Preschool. Don’t get me wrong, Bradley’s school is ranked one of the best which is why we chose to live in Pinehurst.  It was just all me and my dramatics and worries messing with my mind and emotions. I am feeling more at ease now and hope to volunteer more at different time slots and different days to be able to put all the pieces together.  Here is some of what we did.

I arrived and went to the office and got my volunteer badge then headed over to the cafeteria.  He eats lunch at 11:15 and I got there a bit after so I knew he would already be eating.  Luckily some teachers were walking by and were able to let me in.  I had forgotten that all the doors of each building on the campus lock from the outside and you have to have a staff key to open them.  All doors except the main entrance which leads right to the main office.

 

At first Bradley did not want to sit with me.  There wasn’t an open seat next to him so I sat at a different table next to his with a different class and he wouldn’t sit with me.  A little later that class was done and got up and I became the “kid” that sat and ate their lunch alone.  Until….one of the sweet Janitor women who know Bradley said “Bradley, is this your Mom?  Get over here and sit with her!!” She actually helped move his lunch over next to me.  I thought that was nice that even the ladies in the cafeteria take time to get to know the kids.

After lunch we walked to the playground. There is a line leader and door holder that Mrs. Wilson picks each day.

All the kids throw their lunchboxes on the picnic table and quickly run for the fun!

 

This was their first day on their BRAND NEW playground.  It was being worked on last week so they were ready!

They all had to sit and listen to the rules since it was new and had new gadgets.

 

The Tilt- A – Wheel I call it. They balance and it moves while they walk.  If they stop walking then it falls back and they go for a spin!

After this they all lined up, got a head count, and headed back to the class. Next was Rest Time and they do different activities one by one while it is quiet.  Like, Mrs. Wilson had a few at her table working on a project and I got the job of reading with all 20 kids, one at a time! I sat at a little desk and called one up to practice reading the book in their homework folder for that night and I had to quiz them on their “Sight” words. Then that child would go quietly tap on the next child when they were laying down and tell them it was their turn. I got to do this about 20 times. Hooray for me!  I think Mrs. Wilson must have needed a break since I got the busy work.

My handsome Kindergartener!

After we were done with all of that then they woke up.  She had them present their homework shape projects one by one.  The kids would all give a round of applause to each other by clapping in a circle.  It was so cute. If ever anyone was acting up or restless she says to remind them to sit still “Criss Cross Applesauce, Spoons in the bowl!” I had never heard the end before and I love it! Very clever.

 

I took this as a reference for me.

After that was snack time. They also eat out on their picnic table patio a lot too which is right outside their room.  This is Bradley’s seat and all the kids at his table. Jack, Sophia, Ivy, Kenneth, and Hailey.  When they finish their snack they grab a book and read.

After that they played a letter matching game on their “Smart Board.”  She was giving them a lesson so they could do the same in the computer lab they go to once a week also. I saw the bucket on the dry erase board next to it.  Bradley had mentioned it before that they are working towards earning a Bubble Party. Looks like they only need one more. Another thing they do in his class and in the whole school is ask “Are you filling buckets?” They teach the children that by helping, listening, doing kind things and saying nice words they can fill each others buckets.  You dip into peoples buckets by doing the opposite of those things. I really liked that concept and am going to try to use it more in our house, especially, since Brad and I have always told each other “ I love you Bucketsfull” and now tell the boys that too.

They got so excited when someone got a match!

Then they get packed up with their book bags and sit back on the rug and they can not line up until they name a popcorn word which is really their sight words she keeps adding onto. At 2:30 they walk out and sit under a tree and wait for their parents or the bus riders walk to the bus.

This is Bradley’s friend Alex and his Mom and I have been carpooling.  We split the week up evenly.  It helps for me to not have to put Gavin and Easton in the car every weekday, twice a day! I love Carpool!

I did not get a picture of Bradley and I at school.  I didn’t want to bug his teacher and even though it was a learning experience for me, I really was there to just help.  The teachers do so much and have their hands full so they welcome parent volunteers with open arms.  Also, while Bradley was on the playground after lunch I realized “Oh, my gosh, I dressed in the same colors as Bradley!” I had totally forgot what he left the house in that morning. Another major OOPS by mommy and a glimpse into my brain malfunctions from being on overload so much! Daddy got a kick out of this and would not stop teasing me so had to take our picture. Aside from the fashion disaster, it was a great day with Bradley and his class! Bradley later told Daddy “ I didn’t like Mommy there for lunch but I did like it when she was in my classroom!” Who knows! I can’t win so Daddy will be going to eat lunch with him next. 

Party House

Here is an update for the Woody family. The past two weekends we have been to some birthday parties and also there is just some pictures of us at the house. 

 

Last Saturday we went to Wyatt’s Birthday party.  He turned 4 and here he is posing with the shirt I had for Bradley when he turned 4.  I figured it needed some wear since Gavin couldn’t use it for another year. I, of course, got all pictures of kids and none of the adults.  I am so bad at that. I think I just like kid pictures better!

It was a Wet N’ Wild Anything Under the Sea party.

 

Easton loves saying “Cheese” for the camera.  I don’t have to prompt him even, he just sees the camera and does this.

As you can see.  He gets pretty into it!

He raked and swept the whole party!

Meet Ally! She has been on the blog before. She is betrothed to Easton one day.  This is our friend Molly and Zeb’s little girl.  They have the exact same hair and I would just love a little girl just like her.  The catch is though since there is no guarantee of what you get then Brad and I will not be trying for an Ally double.

She was not impressed with Easton’s “Mmmmmmm” going in for a kiss.

 

Now here we are this past week during some down times at the house.  We have been pretty busy lately with Brad being out of town every other week, Bradley in school and swim class and Myself working out 5 days a week and gearing up for MOPS which I will be in again this year after a two year break.

 

They love their pajama pose pictures!

  

 

 

Another nights pajama pictures.  As you can see they snuck apples in my bed one night and the next night string cheese. I can’t keep up!

 

My crazy haired sweet boy!

Easton letting himself fall. This is the first time I have seen him do this which for my just means he is growing more fearless.

My sweetheart Gavin who says to me several times daily now “mommy, you my Princess!” Then I tell him “And you’re my Prince Charming” and we kiss! We also have agreed that Daddy, Bradley and Easton are “codes” also known as toads!

He always hikes his pants up past his belly button!

 

Easton can be found doing this a lot or with his hands down his diapers.  It’s not that he hasn’t found it a while before it is just that now I guess he quiet enjoys this time with himself and while sucking his thumb.  As often as I can I put him in one piece pajamas and rompers.  I hope this phase passes soon because 24 month rompers which is as high as I have seen them go up to will be too small for him soon.

This Saturday I had my first MOPS gathering.  A day Steering retreat for the leaders.  I will be a discussion group leader this year. I got a sitter at home for Gavin and Easton while Bradley went with friends to a all day water extravaganza.  He was under the care of my friends husband and he had there three boys to watch too.  Bradley had so much fun hanging out with his friend James. I got home from my event, Bradley got dropped off right after and Brad got home from the airport all at 4 o’clock.  We then an hour later went to another party (above) for our friend Zach’s birthday! Thankfully after the whirlwind Saturday we have had a low key Sunday today.