Field of Dreams

Nate is in heaven.  He has waited a long time to teach his boys to play catch and Carter has gotten pretty good (much better than me I'm told). Chase still hase a few years to go but he loves to be included anyway.

Gettin ready

 

Lesson 1: Keep your EYES on the ball

 

Lesson 2: Follow through

Lesson 3: Celebrate a great catch!

He might be a lefty

I got it!



From the Lips of a Two Year Old, Can You Solve the Riddles?

I need a drink from the water mountain.

Look, there goes a red hiccup.

I want to play with my pissing hole. (it is not as bad as it sounds, it was actually better before daddy tried to help him say it correctly)

If you need some clues let me know!

Kids Say the Darndest Things…

Carter had been so excited to head back to GB this week for a few days to help papa with harvest and ride the combine.  Well, I received word from my mom last week that there was a minor incident and the combine was a goner, okay so maybe not so minor to completely take out a two ton machine.  Needless to say custom cutters were brought in to finish the harvest in a few short days.  I knew breaking the news to Carter could go either way.

Me: Carter, Ema Glenda called today and there was an accident with the combine and now it is broken so you will not be able to ride in it during harvest this year.

Carter: Aaaaahhhh, why not?  What happened to it?  I really wanted to ride in it.  Maybe they can get another one and I can ride in that.  How will they finish?

Me:  They have hired other combines to come in and cut the wheat and that means harvest will be over before you go to GB next week.  Maybe you can help papa in the tractor instead.

Carter: I still want to go.  (I can see the wheels turning in his head)  I know, they can get some glue and glue it back together, that is how we fix our toys sometimes.

Me:  I don’t think glue will hold the combine together.

Carter:  Why not?  Is it too big and heavy?

Me: Yes

Carter: Maybe if they use superglue and  put it all the way around it and in the inside too.

Me:  I still don’t think that is going to work.

Carter: Why? What broke on it?

Me: Well, while it was driving through a field it drove over big hole that was really hard to see and  it broke.

Carter: Did the wheels break?

Me: I am not exactly sure, but I think the back wheels, which are small, drove over it and fell into the hole.

Carter:  What do you think lived in the whole? A bunny.

Me: (Trying to contain my laughter) No, I don’t think anything lived in the hole.

I so enjoy these conversations.  I really need to invest in a voice recorder because transcribing it really doesn't do it justice.

When I Think Of Father's Day...

Father’s day (and mother’s day) is so very special and should be days when we celebrate and
appreciate our own parents for all their sacrifices, support and love over our lifetime. Now that I’m a mother and married to a father I have a deeper understand of the importance of the day and what it really means to me. Not only do I celebrate how fortunate I am to have great parents but I look at how fortunate  I am to be a parent to great kids. To me it is more about celebrating the relationship then the individual, if that makes sense. I know my husband is a great father, but it’s the amazing relationship that he has with our boys that makes me proud of him on this day.

Here is a beautiful (yet not too sappy) poem I found (and edited) to fit our family. While words can’t truly express a relationship between a father and his sons, I think this portrays the innocence of how my little boys feel about their dad on this day.

A Father And His Sons

Standing in the doorway.
They wait for you to come.
They can’t wait for you to be home,
these boys that are your sons.

They hope you will go play catch.
They hope you'll go have fun.
They just want to be near you,
these boys that are your sons.

They are your spitting image.
To them you are ''The One''.
They hope to be just like you,
these boys that are your sons.

You show them what a dad is.
You teach as you have fun.
You are admired and so loved
by these boys that are your sons.

You've got two friends forever.
Until the world is done.
Then, still you will be holding
these men that are your sons.

( A poem by Mary Nagy, edited by me)

Photo by Rebecca Peters

Happy Father’s Day to my dad, father-in-law, grandpas and of course my husband! You are truly appreciated and loved.

Family Pics!

About a month ago we had our annual family pictures taken by our very talented friend Rebecca (Rebecca Peters Photography).  Here is a link to our slide show.


http://www.rpetersphotography.com/slideshow/CarterChase2011/


All three pictures featured to the right on the blog were taken by Rebecca.

A Day In The Life Of Boys

Playing doctor, a favorite at our house...

Say ahhhh

A HOT summer day at the park



Sand bath, he was filthy...

Swings with Georgia on her 4th birthday

Terrible Two, I Had Forgotten About You!

Well, it has been a few years since my oldest was two, but wow how those moments have flooded back the last few weeks.  The tantrums, the power struggles and the constant use of the word NO.  What happened to the cute, sweet babe that thought I was the greatest thing on earth, oh ya, he turned two.  Over the last few weeks I have noticed a drastic increase in the tantrums and my patience has worn thin.  And those that know me know I have very little patience to spare.  I am a strong believer in giving your children choices and allowing them to have some control over their actions and consequences, love and logic.  So what happens when your two year old says a firm NO to all his choices, well let me tell you it ain’t always pretty.  It leads to the tantrums I was talking about above, the throw himself down, red in the face, near gagging from all the crying tantrums, particularly fun in the parking lot where other parents get to pass judgment on my parenting skills.  I try to remain calm while inside censoring my thoughts as they should not be verbalized in front of the children. 

Just as suddenly as the tantrum began it ends, usually with Chase turning to me and saying with a smile, " hi mommie"... little stinker.

I know this phase like everything else will pass and I know that I will deeply miss it because it means that my baby is growing up.  So for now I will try to look past the tantrums and focus on great things a two year old has to offer, contagious laughter, a carefree sprit and unconditional love. 

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Last Friday we loaded up the minivan and headed to the K for our first Royals game of the year.  I had mixed feelings about how it would play out. It was nearly 100 degrees (in the shade), neither of the boys can sit still for more than about thirty minutes at a time and it was going to a really late night for Chase, his mood generally takes a sharp turn downhill after about 9 p.m and Carter was very set on staying for the fireworks.  Dinner at the game was anything but healthy, I believe all Chase consumed was a cookie and a few cheetos at the tailgate, how's that for balanced.  I had a very good feeling that by the fifth inning, if I was lucky, I would be carting two sweaty boys to the playground for the remainder of the game, but much to my suprise and delight they did great, with the exception of a brief moment around the seventh inning when Chase looked at me, started to cry and said " I wanna go home, I go night night", I thought our time was up, but after a few restful minutes on my lap with his beloved paci we were back in business.  They made it through the entire nine innings and the fireworks.

Hold On Tight...

A lot of stuff is about to come your way.

While we were away the boys spent a week and a half in Great Bend with the grandparents.  Most of the time was spent on the farm with grandma Glenda, papa Terry and aunt Melissa.  They were in paradise themselves.  They played outside, a LOT, they played ping pong, they played kitchen, they went to the park, they ate chicken nuggets and fries, ice cream and cookies, they stayed up late and slept in.  Then , as if that wasn't enough spoiling, they spent a few days at papa Mike’s and grandma Teresa’s house.  They went to the zoo, played putt-putt, and had more ice cream.  I think it is safe to say they were well taken care of and very happy.

Carter lost his second tooth, which is of the things I am sad I missed, but luckily the tooth fairy found him.

Carter also had his last soccer game and his first tee ball game, I absolutely love watching him play, he is the best player on the team after all!

It seemed like Chases changed the most while we were gone.  He looks older, he talks better, he got ornerier, if that is possible.  And he managed to find a satisfactory “poop” corner in every place he stayed so I would say he had a great trip too.

Bathtime super heroes 

 

On deck

Batter up

Biggest fan



Paradise!

Long time, no blogging, but for good reason I promise.  Nate and I just returned from ten glorious, kid-free days in paradise, at least my kind of paradise, Hawaii.  While we went partly because Nate’s work sent him there for a project we also went to celebrate, a little early mind you, our tenth anniversary.  You just can’t pass up an opportunity like that when it falls into your lap.  We spent the first four nights in Oahu on Waikiki Beach, me soaking up the sun, shopping and enjoying amazing seafood and Nate working, well at least part of the first few days.  The last 6 days we spent in Maui.  We lounged by the pool, relaxed on the beach, swam in the beautiful ocean, we got up when we wanted, although since it is five hours earlier there that often meant we were up by 5 am, so much for sleeping in, we ate amazing seafood every day, we took walks, explored the island and enjoyed our time together without any whining, without being asked a million questions, without temper tantrums, without changing a diaper or cutting up anyone’s food.  But I will admit while I had an absolutely amazing time I missed my boys like crazy and have never been more happy to be home, back to my real everyday paradise.   I missed the whining, the questions, the tantrums and the diapers, go figure.