Ashton at 1 year, 7 mo.

Ashton is really changing a lot right now. Sometimes I look at him and think it's impossible that he would be so big. For example, the way he fits in his car seat, almost like he's outgrowing it his feet hang down so far now! In everything he does, he wants to be like his big brother and thinks he should be the same in every way. It's difficult for me to give Gabe the space he needs, and Ashton the quality time with his brother that he's seeking, without them clashing... It's fun chaos having them play together.

Right now, Ashton's moods are unpredictable! He can be so sweet and lovey. He gives absolutely the best hugs, and I love it that when he does hug you a lot of times he will pat his little fingers on your back or shoulder - adorable! But he also -screams- at the top of his lungs when he is mad or wants attention. He hits, he pouts, and he destroys! Five minutes later, he is the silliest goof you've ever seen and you can't take your eyes off him because he is cracking you up! He loves to make funny faces, stick his tongue out, make strange noises, dance and spin, and do all kinds of crazy things. His smile is so bright, his eyes are so big, you just love to see him happy!

I can't believe how tall Ashton is. I need to measure and see - most certainly off the charts tall. He and his brother grow in different ways. Gabe packs on pounds for awhile, then has a growth spurt. Ashton can't put any pounds on because he's just constantly groing straight upward! Thinking ahead, I see this as causing Gabe to have more akward phases physically while his younger brother doesn't change as noticably and has an easier time... we shall see. Ashton has the cutest chicken legs you ever saw! He's tiny around the waist but long in the torso and legs. I have no idea what size of clothes will fit him this summer!? He is growing into the next size up a good few months ahead of his brother, so my seasons aren't matching up as perfectly as I planned! lol.

I can see us potty training this summer. He has an interest in it now, pees in the potty almost every night before baths and is always so proud of himself. Gabe thinks it's amazing, too, so of course that's the best help I could ever ask for... we will see how he does and if he's ready...

Ashton is completely and totally a mommas boy. :-)

He's coordinated - throws balls, feeds himself pretty well. His height helps him too. This weekend Darcy commented that he was practically walking up the stairs because he is so tall - it was the first time I had really noticed! Yeah, he has no problem getting anywhere! Like his brother he is a monkey and great at climbing!

He tries to dress himself and can certainly get out of his shoes, socks and pants. He always surprises me by running around in a diaper when I could swear he had a perfectly good outfit on moments ago! He pushes cars around, stacks blocks, and plays really well by himself - for a limited time. He does struggle with puzzle pieces, and he has little patience for things that frustrate him. He has a fascination with our floor vents and loves to hide things away. He's also very good at clean up and actually enjoys putting away toys and throwing things away for mommy. Gabe puts every single thing in the big toy box whether it's a piece of a puzzle or train set or whatever, he's just in a hurry to be done. But Ashton likes everything to have it's correct spot and to put things away right! He has been trying to make beds, but can't quite pull the covers the right way (so cute!)

I love to hear him use his words. He said his first 4-word sentence this weekend. "I want my dad." Awww!!! He has used many words, but many times it's random or he's just repeating. I would say his vocabulary is pretty big, but he doesn't talk non-stop or anything. Until recently I had never heard him sing. Now I catch him "la la laaa-ing" along with a cartoon or his brother or to himself and it just melts my heart! He has a very quiet voice (unless he is -screaming-!)

Like his brother, he is bright and catches on to things quickly. I can see him anticipating things and I know those wheels are constantly spinning - catching on to probably more than I would want him to! He's clever and amazing.

I'm such a lucky mom.

Surprise Date Night!

I have had a great evening and wanted to take a minute to blog about it...

When I went to pick up the boys tonight, Grandma Peggy surprised me by saying she would watch Ashton tonight so Gabe could get some time with just mom and dad. Gabe said later this was his plan for the night, and made another reference to Ashton as 'that little kid.' Hmmm, guess Grandma Peggy might be right about Gabe wanting some time alone/away from his brother.

Jermie was actually already in Wichita picking up new mattresses for the bunk beds and getting an alignment on his truck - so that meant a Surprise Date Night for me and Gabe! :-)

We started off the night heading to Dollar General to find some pirate garb. We struck out - but - I did grab a shirt for each of the boys and two pairs of shoes for me, each item clearanced down to $2.20 - score! Gabe told me on the way to the next store that I did a really good job shopping because I only spent $50! Well, the math wasn't quite right but he did catch on to my happiness in finding the sales!

Next was Wal-Mart where we scored some Pirate Swords! A happy boy for the rest of the trip through the store, but he kept insisting we go to Dillons because 'it's the biggest store in town!' Okay... But before we head out, I go to the bedding section to see what they might have in Pirate themes - nada - but they have clearanced down some sheets, pillowcases, and comforters. So, the boys now have matching navy blue bed spreads for their pirate ships. They're reversible red/blue, but I thought the blue looked best against the dark wood. $9 each/regularly $18 each - two for the price of one! :-)

At Dillons Gabe was ticked because it wasn't the store he was thinking of - of course! After getting groceries we were headed home. Gabe knew we were eating dinner out, but when I suggested we get it to go, he pouted. "But it's just us and not Ashton." He was right - we went inside and ate. He was happy all night.

Then we came home, put the comforters on the beds, and he went to sleep with his sword on top of him - because that's what Pirates do! :-)


thank you Grandma Peggy for the impromptu date night! Loved it!!

*Side Note: This is also the FIRST time Ashton has had a sleepover without his older brother there too!!* :-)

Gabe at 3y 9mo

Before I know it, Gabe will be 4 years old. He has grown so much, and time has gone so incrediably fast since we had him. It's really been by in the blink of an eye. Makes me sad, but then I look at him and I think surely we have done something right!

When I read some of the developmental milestones he should reach around age 4, I think, "he's already there! He's been there for awhile!" Of course I think my kid is wonderful, but he definately has some social skills, and I think he's quite the artist. But some examples, the site I was reading said he should be able to stack 10blocks. Seriously? Gabe can build a tower that's taller than he is, and I've seen him come up with helicopters and giraffes, all out of his imagination and not some kind of kit!

Here are some things I will remember about him at this age:
. He tells me all the time he wants to do something NEW.
. He is always excited about going to see family and friends.
. He loves to watch TV and movies.
. He has been in the bad habit of coming into our beds at night.
. He NEVER sleeps with the covers on him.
. He is fascinated with trucks, any kind of working machines, fire trucks/police/ambulances and airplanes/helicopters/jets...
. He understands traffic signals and is a back seat driver!
. He loves to be outside. This has been a long winter!
. He is fantastic with directions and always knows where we are going by looking out the window. He pays great attention to what's going on outside the vehicle.
. He sings several songs - very cute. "I love you Mommy, oh yes I do" to the tune of Bye-Bye Birdie, or variations of "Gabe Gabe bo babe" are my favorite.
. He break dances like a maniac, hits the ground, does the splits, spins, it's wild!
. He likes to read. He remembers stories very well (which means I can't skip pages or he corrects me!)
. He likes sweets!
. He takes huge bites, chews sloowly or forever for no reason, and sometimes drives us crazy with how slowly he eats his dinner!
. He is great at finding hidden pictures!

Ah, my sweet boy. He's understanding more and more what it really means to be a big brother. At the same time, he's at a volitile age with his emotions - some crying fits, being mean, some selfishness with his toys or whatever. Even when he's just playing he has a loud voice, too loud in restaurants. You can imagine when he's upset... :-)

And he always says the cutest things. This weekend I was asking how he felt and how his ears were, and he said, "Mom, I think I got my healthy back!" lol. He's so stinking cute!

On Friday I called the local Pre-Schools and told him he would be starting school this fall. He really couldn't be more excited about going to school! It's an exciting time, but not easy for mommy. As you can see, I'm already trying to prepare myself! :-)

Pirate Ship Bed!

Some time this week, Gabe told dad that his bed just wasn't comphy. He sleeps on the day bed we inherited from Jermie's mom, which she bought for Jami in maybe the third grade... It's practically a family heirloom! But Jermie agreed that an update is in order... and he's never thought it was a good fit for Gabe or the boys' room since it's white and girly... SO... Yesterday we were headed to Wichita for a new bed for Gabe, then decided we might as well shop for both of them, since Ashton is ready to be out of the crib. We left the house considering all of the following: two twin beds, a twin with a trundle bed below, or bunk beds. Jermie was good at considering the quality of wood and how each were put together, several we looked at were too cheaply made. So, one after another, a few stores down the road, we came to the conclusion that this bed was the best made, the most exciting for the boys, and we all loved it.

So, we came home with a Pirate Ship Bed for the boys~





Gabe is in full pirate mode now. "Mom, have you seen my treasure?" in a growly voice. His bed is a boat and he wants a treasure map and treasure chest and all kinds of pirate garb. Can't wait to get started transforming that room into a pirate's lair! :-)

Family for Valentines

I started to blog about Valentines day, and how since it falls just after my birthday I never feel like I need a huge showering of love. (Guess that's evidence of how well Jermie and everyone does of making me a happy birthday girl!) The way we spent Valentines Day was actually a lot of fun. Jermie's aunt Penny and Grandma stopped by just after breakfast and stayed an hour or so. Then, Jermie's mom and step-dad came by and took us all out to lunch - Mexican food! It was fun to visit with all of them. (They were headed to Oklahoma for a funeral on Monday. Sad timing for a death/loss.) I didn't take too many pictures, but wanted to share these...

Jermie got gifts from each of us this year. It was a surprise. Since he's growing his hair, he has wanted hats so he got one from each of the boys. From me - a soft, comphy black robe. :-) We both love it. lol.

But after lunch a headache and cold came on pretty strong and I slept from 2-6:30, woke up to have dinner, and went to bed just after the boys! Monday & Tuesday were pretty rough, I still wasn't feeling well, but ... (bringing this blog up to date) FINALLY a weekend of healthy boys & mom! :-)

"Military" Haircuts

Something the boys have needed for longer than I care to admit... Haircuts!

I always think my boys look handsome, but I also know I delay the boy's haircuts for far too long! Here are some pics showing off their longer locks...

And Now!...
They maybe aren't the best pics, but you can tell a big difference! Ashton immediately looked 6 months-older, and I'm still adjusting to that! :-/ Gabe always looks handsome, but he also likes to be spiky on top, which he can do now...

Jermie was floored at how SHORT I went, but I wanted to make these hair cuts last as looong as possible, to be honest! ... And I knew no matter what she did my boys would still be Handsome! :-) He said they look like Military boys now... I can assure you, they don't act it!

Belated b-day thank-you blog

For Jermie... :-)

My birthday gift this year is a DVD player for the van. Jermie mounted it on the ceiling. It's a dual-screen, so the boys can watch the same movie or different movies. They would have to use headphones for different movies, otherwise they could either listen by van stereo or by headphones. So far, Gabe loves the headphones, but Ashton has no interest in wearing them! No long trips yet - but they've enjoyed the short bits they've seen, and I can tell I will really enjoy the quiet from the back seat! Nice! Thanks for thinking of me babe!

And look at these beauties...
I absolutely love fresh flowers! This bouquet was beautiful and smelled SO good!

If you truly want to know what a dork I am, you should see how many close-up photos I took of my flowers. I couldn't help it, they're so pretty - dramatic - exquisite - gorgeous - perfect! :-)

Thank you love!

Update on our sick family...

Gabe has an ear infection in both ears - poor kiddo. Ashton went to Grandma Peggy's and was fine today. I was sick today, have had a headache since Sunday plus other cold/flu symptoms. My headache has edged off so I feel like tomorrow might be a better day... For Gabe too. He was given an antibiotic to fight his ear infections and sore throat, and a prescription cough medicine since the over-the-counter meds haven't kicked it in the past week. Gabe coughed without prompting at the office, and the doctor called it 'croupy.' :-/

Gabe was in pretty good spirits at the office, but he did tell everyone, "I'm sick." He was telling the doctor about his bad dreams last night (the bugs under the pillow, yay, nice story Gabe!) And laughed at the doctor when the dr. said there was a bird in his ear... I love it that Gabe is so social and friendly, even when he is feeling bad.

The doctor's name is Teran Naccarato. Found him online, he had worked in Augusta and Newton, family practice and orthopedic surgeon. Apparently he is on Facebook, but I didn't go there... :-)

The doctor reminded me of this guy - Seth Rogen.

Well, the doctor was clean shaven but otherwise pretty much a ringer! Same tone of voice, accent, age would be close, I'm guessing... He was great with Gabe, made him laugh, seemed to like to make him laugh. I might have a problem talking seriously with him, don't know how Jermie would feel going in to him if he were sick, but for our kiddos, I thought he was good... And I was happy to hear he is there for a family practice, and does like working with kids...

Have I really found a new doctor? Ah, what a relief and a blessing! :-)

Gabe was 39.5 inches... 3.3 feet tall... and weighed 37 pounds at this appointment. His face and lips get bright red when he has a fever. I can't wait to see his eyes bright and clear again! :)

Not feeling well...

Gabe & Ashton developed coughs last Sunday. It's been a rough week plus for both of them, and for us! Last Monday I had a training in Topeka. Weather had been terrible, but I made the trip anyways. That night at Gma Peggys, Gabe got a high fever. On Tuesday night I was home, and Ashton had a high fever. Wednesday through Friday they went to Grandma Peggys with coughs and runny noses. This past weekend I thought they would get healthy, but they didn't. They have been cranky, fussy, and clingy all week. They wake up in the middle of the night and climb in bed with us. In the middle of the night last night, Ashton was literally wrapped around my head, the way a cat does. Gabe had a dream and started yelling that there were bugs under the pillows. He sounded happy about it, I was not! (Gross!) Each of the boys have had a low fever here or there since last weekend, but yetserday after nap Gabe had a high fever again.
-- ENOUGH! --
We have a doctors appointment today. Yesterday I called our doctor, and there was no time to get Gabe in by the end of the day. I talked to the nurse who told me that, but didn't suggest anything I should do overnight for my sick boy, and when she transferred me back to the desk, my first available appointment for him wasn't until 3:30 today... I want a doctor who isn't too busy for me and my sick kiddos! :-/
I also called a new doctor in town, and set up an appointment for 11:30. I know nothing about this doctor, and couldn't find *anything* online. Strange. I'll try not to let that make me nervous... How hard can it be to check my boy's ears and throat? Surely even this new doctor can do it... :-)
Jermie's suggestion for our new family doctor was actually the PA out at another clinic. Don't know how I feel about that, either. Guess we will try the new doc today, and see how it goes...

UGH!

Valentines Special

Valentines Day... I hope everyone out there enjoys their Valentines this year and that Cupid has been good to you.

Lucky Jermie, Valentines doesn't mean all that much to me ~ mostly because of the timing. Since my birthday was last week, I've already received a sweet hand-picked lovey card. I have a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of fresh flowers on my table... What else could a girl want?

Mostly, dinner out!

(Might come back to this post later. Work has interrupted this blog time!) <3

philosophical

My first blog from work! {lunch break and boss has left to run errands}
But what's not so exciting are all these philosophical things weighing on my mind today. We had an interview with a middle school principal who is *stressed* about the budget, to say the least. Then a meeting with a H.S. Spanish teacher who is an amazing teacher. Following the previous meeting, where we were told 30 teachers in our district are facing job cuts, I imagine this teacher to be on that list because he teaches an elective... How sad.

Among other sad/troubling things I've thought/felt/heard recently:

• What is the future of our schools?
• I hate the word 'consolidation.'
• I do not value the dollar over the value of small classroom sizes, arts, electives, teachers having job stability, or a healthy education.
• I think small towns fall apart once they don't have schools to bring in new, young families. Our small towns in this area are already struggling quite enough with this economy.
• I don't agree with the Vice President that another massive terrorist attack in the U.S. is unlikely.
• The headline: Iran is Now a Nuclear State is scary.
• Troubling statistic: "One in every 409 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in January." Ugh! In Las Vegas: One in every 82 homes!

Gawd, and people wonder why I fill my head with The Bachelor and Greys Anatomy drama! Most times, I'd much rather be reading about John Mayer and Jessica Simpson's love life than any of the above! BUT I have two of the world's most perfect boys to worry about now, and I do worry sometimes. Probably we all do.

That being said, I was really on Team Alli in the beginning of the Bachelor, but after her whole Vienna rudeness and the stroll through Grandmas house, and the overly drawn out goodbye, I don't want her to be the next Bachelorette. I'm ready for someone new. I have never, ever liked Vienna, and I do not think this will be a fairytale Trista and Ryan couple... And what's with Little Grey's blonde hair? Craziness. :-)

My boys have been sick since Sunday. I hope they're feeling better soon, but I do love their sweet hugs and snuggles when they want and need their mommy!

Work is good. We had a training this week, met a lot of people who do what we do, and got some good information. On top of that, we are swamped! :-) Better grab something to eat and get back to it!

The Last Year of my 20's!

Okay, here are a few pics from my birthday. I have hundreds, many humiliating, and haven't made collages yet... so this is just a sampler!




Well, my 20's are nearly over... but you wouldn't know that by the way we partied up my birthday! On Friday there was mexican food and margaritas with mom in El Dorado, dropping off the boys, and at El Magueys with a party of 10! Grandma Peggy, Jill, Barbara, Heather, Sunni, Brandy, Whitney, Angel, Sarah and Me... Girl time! I was a little worried about our choice of restaurant... neither mexican place in town takes reservations, but we were told to call ahead and they would get a table ready for us... so we called ahead, and arrived to a line that was out the door and a restaurant completely packed and waiters who acted like we had never called and told us to wait in line! We talked about calling in pizza and heading back to the house, but waited... somewhat patiently... and were seated very quickly actually! Great company, great conversations. Husbands and kids and jobs and the like, plus a round of 'How do you know Dusti' introductions. (Thanks Sunni, that was a great idea!) Of course, I wore the big hat and got the mariachi style 'happy birthday' sang to me... it was a great time! 4 pitchers of margaritas & really good food! At home, the guys had set up Jill & Adam's PS2 and SingStar game, so that was immensely entertaining. I decided to try a new drink - loved it. We had a house full of fun people, Jill & Adam, Barbara & Curtis, Heather & Rob, Angel & Dirk, Sarah, Alli, and the honeymooners - me & Jermie. We were made fun of for all of our smooching, cake in the face wedding-style craziness... wild times. I did some time-traveling on my birthday night, I swear, because things I've seen in pictures since, and stories I've heard... ??? Was that really me? OMG! :-) Saturday we took Sarah back to ElDy so she could be with her precious little girly and hubby, then called Alli & Matt to see what their plans were for lunch/that evening & Alli was up for anything while Matt was working (bummer.) Then called Jill & Adam to see if they wanted to go down to the casinos and had plans for the night. At home, Alli, Jermie and I were back on SingStar where we sang nearly every song, then Alli & I found the one we totally rocked and sand Evanescense - My Immortal - a hundred times over! :-) Dinner with everyone at the Mexican place in Ark City - terrific food - and down to the casinos, where Alli did the best, bringing home $30 off her $10 free casino cash. I got $20 free casino cash to play on *$10 for my birthday* and came home with $20. Second place. Sadly, none of us were awesome winners of hundreds of dollars... darnit! On Sunday, we picked up the boys in Eldo and I LOVED IT! Gabe and Ashton were both so happy to see us, hugging and grinning. It was awesome! It is SUCH a wonderful thing to be a mom! My mom gave me a hug and said she understood my stress/being tired from watching them - they are a handful! Gabe is pretty easy, but Ashton a sneaky little monster with a temper! :-) (Mom, I didn't mention that when I asked you to watch them for the weekend? Oh, my bad! :-)) Then we all hit up the Movie Gallery closing sale, came home and watched a movie and baths and bed time... Also, Gabe got a new monster truck! We got him one for Christmas, but returned it to get him one better, and he and Jermie are both happy about that! And, we took one of the side rails off Ashton's bed, so he is such a big boy now! He did NOT get out of bed, and was so happy his dad did that for him. So sweet! Both boys have colds... ugh! And this weather - yuck. :-( Snow is only good when work/school are cancelled! :-)

It's my day!

It's after 7:30 right now... I type that because my computer seems to be ahead of the times. I would Never get up at 4 a.m. to clean house! I know I put a lot of stress on myself trying to get ready for company, but that's just craziness! :-)

Yesterday I did get home early, got laundry going, put clean sheets on my beds, and got dinner going in the crock pot before I went to pick up the kids. Also, Jermie and I went to the post office to see what we need to do to get PASSPORTS for an upcoming *10th Anniversary* vacation! (no details on that just yet, are you kidding? we don't plan that far in advance!)

So, my upstairs is all clean. All our bedrooms are made up, floors vacuumed, laundry put away. Exciting - the boys are also packed for a weekend with Grandma. There's more freezing fog out there right now, but I am still hopeful that we can both make it to El Dorado. While there - Exciting pt. 2 - I'm picking up friend from high school Sarah Radar Denny and bringing her down here for my birthday bash! Can't wait for all the girl talk and catching up we'll get to have during the drive! :)

So, this morning I have quite the To Do list, with all my downstairs rooms needing cleaned and prettied up, plus a Wal-Mart run... I'd better get to it. Here are some fun Gabe quotes this morning...

Gabe, do you know what today is?
It's Grandma Day!
Grandma Day? I thought it was my birthday!?
Nope, it's Grandma Day.
(humph!)

Gabe, you'd better eat all your cereal so you can get big.
But Grandma Peggy says she doesn't want me to get big!

:-)

(Clear up FOG! I've got places to go!)

ugh!

It's snowing outside. I checked the school Website, hoping to see in bright red letters, "School Closed Today!" Not there. I would really love to take the boys to Grandma Peggy's and spend my day at home cleaning house and getting ready for my BiRtHdAy PaRtY. :-) I have tomorrow as a paid day off, so that would be a 4-day weekend. Sweet!

But, alas, there is a bulletin board I am in charge of decorating, and a lunch meeting... Maybe I can hope to leave right after lunch... :-) Well, regardless, I' better go tackle some of this mess!

Happy Birthday Kylar!

We had a three-day weekend last week due to the snow. On Saturday, we headed north - where there was much less snow - to see Jamie, Brady and Kylar. It was Kylar's 3rd Birthday - a lot of fun for my boys. I had a good time staying up late and chatting with Jamie, as always, love the girl talk! Enjoy my pics of our handsome boys!

Get Dressed!

good morning!

Mornings at my home are usually tons of chaos. First of all, neither boy usually sleeps past 6:30, and I have laundry to do, a shower to take, and plenty of other chores to keep me busy. The boys are asking to watch a movie, are playing with or getting upset over toys, and are looking for ways to be entertained... a scary thought!

I have mornings where the boys are ready and in their coats when Grandma Peggy gets there to pick them up, and I have mornings when we haven't even put shoes on yet. You would think this would be determined mostly by the clock - as in, did I start getting them ready on time. Sometimes, obviously, that is an issue. But some days we follow the same routine and things ... just ... take .... longer!

So, last week Gabe decided he had the solution. He came downstairs Dressed and Ready to Go! *See above photos. He wore a t-shirt that is a pajama shirt, but he did get it out of his dresser and it wasn't what he had worn the night before to sleep in. The khakis are too short to wear now, and as thin as a piece of paper, so those didn't work for me, either. But, an A-plus for effort!

It was completely adorable.

And it must have worked, because by the time the boys were changed and had shoes on and were ready to go, we still had time to pose for a few more pictures before Grandma Peggy arrived!

Aren't they sweet?

Last night about an hour after I put the boys to bed, Ashton woke up screaming. It was like he had had a bad dream. :-( He was still laying in his bed when I went up there, and wasn't standing at the rail like normal. I hugged and snuggled him very tight and was worried. Jermie had the solution when he asked Gabe if Ashton could sleep in his bed. We put Ashton on the inside of the little bed, and they were both asleep in no time.

It was the sweetest thing you've ever seen! They slept apart from each other, but were touching hands in the middle. Kia slept at their shoulders, right between them. :-) Gabe is at a point now where he is, or can be, the sweetest big brother in the world. It melts my heart!

They'll be up any minute now, though, so I am off to do a 10 minute video called death to the muffin top, or something like that. Happy Monday everyone!