the many adventures of owen, mason, and jack!

Mason says...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 21:23:00 +0000

The thing about vampires...they gotta be careful not to bite their tongue!

Epic Steamboat Springs Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 04:44:00 +0000

One of the Christmas gifts from my parents to all of us was a ski trip to Steamboat. I have been looking forward to taking the boys on their first ski trip for years and it finally happened! Of course, getting there is always an adventure. Jack LOVED looking out the window at all the planes and special vehicles that help out on the runway. Our flights were uneventful but Jack was surprisingly quite nervous once we got on the plane. I'm usually the nervous flier, so I had to keep my nerves in check to make sure I was able to comfort him. He kept telling me he didn't want to ride the big plane and to close the windows. Once the engines came on he asked me to turn them off. I told him the pilot was in charge of the engines and that he needed them on because he wanted to go "up, up, and away" - a phrase Jack had repeated over and over while watching the other planes take off. This time he told me "no, the pilot wants to go down, down, and away!" Thankfully, just like his momma, once we were in the air he was fine.

Yes, that is their silly Aunt Lindsay photobombing. Ha!!

We rented a cool condo near the slopes and it reminded me of the ski trips I took as a child. Like the condo we used to stay at in Vail, this one had 5 levels (and several bunk beds) which I used to think was so cool! We even had a hot tub on the balcony to enjoy!

We got in late on a Saturday and the kids were so excited to see the snow. They've never seen snow like this before (heck, I'm not even sure I'VE seen snow like this)! Mounds and mounds of it!

Here is Jack checking out snow for the very first time. He's pretty excited about it and his first instinct was to kick it. His love of kicking the snow piles remained throughout the trip. Haha - such a boy. I'm not really sure why Owen and Mason weren't out there right beside him...I think they were too busy inside checking out all the levels of our condo.

Jack wasn't the only one with a love for the snow. The big kids really loved playing in it and sticking their hands down into the deep powder. But Mason in particular found his way to the top of just about any snow pile he could. And naturally, Owen couldn't help but join him! I had to actually get onto them a time or two because they would end up with snow all over their faces, hats, and other accessories that weren't waterproof. Wet and cold is not a good combo!

Here we go to the bus stop on our first ski day! I'm not sure who was more excited...me or the big kids! I couldn't WAIT to see how they'd take to skiing!

Again, just like my childhood ski trips to Vail, there was a lovely covered bridge to cross as you made your way to the base of the mountain. HAD to get this pic!

Owen and Mason did GREAT for their first day ever on skis! I spent a little time watching them on the bunny slopes before us adults headed up the lifts. When we picked them up at the end of the day, the instructor told me they did so well they had to move classes. Apparently most kids go from a level 1 (first time skiier) to a 1+, maaaybe 2, on their first day. Both of my guys made it to level 2+ on day 1. Our hope for the trip was that we'd be able to take them up the mountain by the end of the week to do some green runs with us. Of course, we weren't sure if this would happen - we had no idea how they'd do, how they'd like it, how many days they'd want to ski, etc. There was an hour left before the lifts closed for the day so we took them up the "big lift" (a really, really, REALLY slow moving chair lift). This lift and run were basically the next step in ski school after the "magic carpet" hill (the magic carpet is a sort of in-ground conveyor belt that the kids stand on to get back to the top).

Owen and Mason were a bit unsure about the lift and the bigger hill but we assured them that their level 2+ class would be doing that same thing the next day, so they decided to try it with us. And they did awesome!

Here they are (Mason in blue, Owen in orange) on the morning of day 1...still a level 1 skier on an almost flat hill. They were working on stopping.

Yes, the hill behind them in this pic is actually a hill. Haha!

Here we are on Preview (the green run) at the end of day 1. This was a big moment for me too! I had been waiting to share the snow skiing experience with them for so long!

Owen and Mason weren't the only kids who got to ski that day! Part of Jack's childcare included a 1 hour private lesson. It should be noted that when we dropped Jack off the first morning for childcare, he was not happy! Why? Not because we were leaving him, but because he did NOT want to go inside. He preferred to stay outside and kick the snow piles. The teachers there were onto it and quickly fitted him for ski equipment and got him back out the door. Luckily 1 hour of skiing wore the little man out and he actually went down for a nap. On a nap mat. In a strange place. This doesn't seem to fit his usual personality, but I like it! He also got to have snack time on a ride up and back down the big gondola!

The instructors carted the littlest skiiers to the hill in wagons. Good idea! Those boots are a pain to walk in! In the 2nd picture below, you can barely see the tips of Jack's teeny-tiny skis poking over the wagon's edge. Everything about a 2 year old skiing was adorable!

The instructor gave Jack a truck to hold during the ride. It was quite comical watching him try to grab ahold of it with his mittens on. It reminded me of "Barbie doll hands" haha!

The instructor said he had great balance on skis and even did better on skis than walking in his regular snow (not ski) boots! Haha! We may have a natural on our hands!

He looked so tiny out there! He was definitely the smallest kid that morning.

Getting ready to load onto the magic carpet.

Skiing under the flags!

Us adults finally made it up the mountain for some skiing! And even though I've heard good things about the amount of snow in Steamboat, I was shocked to see these evergreens completely white! It was beautiful! And so was the weather that first day!

A selfie at the top of the mountain.

Granna and Granddaddy after our mid-mountain lunch break.

Group shot!

A hard day of skiing calls for relaxing in the hot tub! Don't worry, we turned the temp way down so it was more like a bath!

It took some hard convincing to get Jack into the hot tub. He was certain that the steam coming off the water was because the water was extremely hot. Kind of hard to explain to a 2 year old that it is like seeing your breath when it is cold outside.

The next morning we woke and it was snowing! Jack found a perfect spot to play and enjoy the falling snow.

And then he found Granna's iPad and a cozy spot to relax.

We headed up the "big" lift after their 2nd day of ski school. This lift took us to the top of the same green run, only a little higher up (and a LOT faster of a ride)!

Mason, mid fall!

I made a video of all of Owen and Mason's best moments from their ski trip! I just love it!

After ski day #2, we squeezed in one more activity so Aunt Lindsay could join us before she headed back to Texas. It was a cold evening for snow tubing but it was a blast!

Our first non-ski day was spent at the condo and playing in the snow. We set out to find a sledding hill but since we didn't have a car (and weren't familiar enough with the bus route) we were only able to go as far as we were willing to walk. The problem was the snow was just SO deep everywhere...and so fluffy! We really needed packed snow and and we couldn't tell just how far we'd sink if we tried out certain spots...and it is doubtful we would have been able to get back to the top of the hill. So we tried out some driveways and finally settled on a snow drift between a road and a driveway.

Granna trying to stay warm while we played on the sleds.

Owen making a snow angel.

I told you Mason couldn't say out of the mounds of snow! Here he is with snow on his gaitor and goggles.

Here's a funny little video I made of our many sledding attempts:

After sledding we decided the snow was perfectly fresh for making snow cream! The boys were in charge of getting the cleanest snow they could find.

Everyone wanted to help at the exact same time.

It sure was delicious!!

Jack decided he had lots to tell his BFF/sweatheart, Emma, back home. We set up a little face time for them...and this is what they did:

By the time we headed into town that evening, Jack was wiped!

He kept getting lower and lower. Owen thought it was kinda comical.

After a good bus nap, Jack was ready to party in the snow again!

Granna and Granddaddy

Playing tic-tac-toe while waiting for our food.

Mason wanted to learn how to write his name "cool" like Daddy can.

Granna and Jack staying busy at the table.

On our other non-ski day, we headed to town to shop for souvenirs. Jack came home with a "snow clow" (snow plow) and a "snow more-bile" (snow mobile), along with some cute ski themed jammies.

Playing with the new snow vehicles. Jack kept getting upset with the snow getting stuck in the crevaces of his toys. Ha! Not sure what he expected to happen when he pushed a snow plow through snow!

We happened to be in Steamboat during the week leading up to their 100 year old Winter Carnival. As a result, we got to witness numerous snow sculptures being carved along the main street. These were all part of a sculpting competition between different teams...families, high school friends, staff from local businesses, etc. The most popular theme was animals - we saw an owl, eagle, horse, a fox that doubled as a bench, and my personal favorite, the walrus with whiskers made from icicles.

To cap off the evening, we hit up the local hot springs. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this! I guess I was thinking really stinky and natural "ponds" or something. This place was really pretty - expecially at night! Almost resort-like. There were 4 or 5 pools of different temps, with the main one being about 98 degrees. There was also a fun waterslide that, fortunately, was accessed via an indoor staircase so the poor kids didn't freeze waiting in line wet in 28 degree weather!

I thought the snow covered, lit up trees were so pretty that I HAD to get a picture. The boys were not that happy with me for making them sit on the side in the cold! I did splash water on them between shots (since it's impossible to get a decent pic in one take)!

One of the many bus stops around town (sure wish they were enclosed and heated) and a funky-fun motel sign in the background.

The boys had such fun swimming for the first time since summer that it turned into a late night. Back on the bus and back asleep! We run ragged on vacation!

On ski day #3, we all headed up the gondola for some family skiing time! Luckily, you don't have to be a skier to ride up (and back down), so Jack was able to ride up with us. My parents weren't planning on skiing that day so they were going to take him back down and head to the condo (although my mom did do one long run with Owen and Mason before hanging with Jack the rest of the afternoon).

Gondola ride

Jack woke up on the wrong side of the pack-n-play that morning and wanted nothing to do with anything he previously thought was awesome - snow, skiing, and gondola rides (he rode up with his childcare class). We pressed on anyway and, as I suspected, once we got his skis on him he perked up. We all had fun taking a few pictures and letting him ski on the very gradual slope at the top of the gondola. Skis and boots add a good amount of extra weight to a kid, and lugging him back to the "top" of the little hill in my ski boots wasn't exactly comfortable. Ha! But he was happy.

Not really sure what's going on here...it was very bright without goggles so I'm not sure if he pulled this up on purpose or not. Luckily, he wasn't moving!!

He's actually moving in the picture below! Once he gets going, he just chills while his skis carry him down. He's pretty relaxed about it.

Here's a video of Jack's skiing highlights! It is simply adorable!

After some mountaintop pictures and watching Jack ski, we headed inside to get a yummy treat.

Once we broke off from my parents and Jack, Aaron, the big kids, and I headed out on the mountain. We found this cool area that had a teepee and some other things to ski through...and lots of kid friendly bumps to ski over. They really loved this area and did it several times. The actual lift back to the top proved more of a challenge! The lift was just a little disk at the end of a pole that you put between your legs and lean against while it "skis" you back uphill. I think that was half the fun!

Granddaddy and Jack watching Owen and Mason ski down.

I love the next set of pictures! It was the morning of our last day to ski and the kids were giddy. It all started with Owen just sitting on a hunk of snow waiting on the bus. But as the wait became longer, the kids started goofing around in the snow...

We made it to the mountian and found our way to their FIRST BLUE RUN EVER, which happened on day 4 of their very first ski trip ever! They were so proud of themselves!

Thumbs up in front of the sign!

Working their way down the blue...

Around mid-morning a snowstorm blew in. The kids were diehards! They did not care that it was extra cold, extra snowy, and extra hard to see. All they wanted to do was ski. Here's a picture of the lunch time view. Normally you can see the restaurant in the background (and if it were visible here, it would likely take up most of the middle of this photo)!

Luckily it was lunch time so we were able to convince the kids to head inside for a break and to let the weather pass.

Mommy and Owen...

Daddy and Mason...

Something tells me the next few pictures weren't taken the same day as the funky snow storm. It's just too pretty! Although, it did tend to clear up the further down you skied.

Skiing down through the pretty birch and evergreen trees.

Ducklings following Dad

Mountaintop!

The 'tuck' for speed! Cracks me up!!

As we were returning our skis for the last time, we came across this St. Bernard named Bear. I'm not sure I've ever seen a St. Bernard in person (what a cool dog!), much less a working St. Bernard complete with the barrel!

My dad took some pictures with his fancy new camera. The scenery is so amazing!

This old barn was some sort of landmark in Steamboat and it was on magnets and Christmas ornaments all over town! Snowy day that day!

Tomorrow we will head back to Texas, and there was just one more thing we hadn't done...build a snowman! The snow was perfect for it...we thought! It was actually too dry to stick together. Aaron had to find chunks that were already compressed to use as a good base for each body section. This resulted in hilarious armloads of snow being shuttled to our build site. Ha!

Working on shaping the head.

Snowman in progress...

Jack decided he needed his hat back.

...so we gave him some pine needle hair

Here he is with his hat back on for one more picture.

Time to head home. One last picture (in the daytime) with Mr. Snowman! Mommy had to give him a little skin graft before the kids saw the dog pee all over his belly. C'mon!? Who would let their dog pee on a kid's brand new snowman!?

Our big commercial airliner that we walked out onto the tarmac to get to. It's not very often that you get to see a plane this big so up close!

Overall, our trip was great! It was something I had been looking forward to sharing with my kids for years. The boys LOVED every bit of it as I hoped they would. I continuously heard phrases like "I love skiing" and "this is the best day ever!" throughout the week! I'd say we created some little skiers!

Pre Christmas Activities

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 07:44:00 +0000

What better way to kick off the holiday season than with the arrival of this little guy? The kids still get a kick out of our Elf on the Shelf, Elvis, so while it is kind of a pain in our adult sides, I will do it so long as they believe in the magic that is Christmas. Owen and Mason are 6 and in 1st grade. I can't help but think this may very well be the last Christmas that Santa is "real." Of course, I said that last year too. But sadly, I fully expect some bone-headed kid at school to ruin it for them.

Elvis brought snowy donuts to enjoy! The big kids remembered this from last year and I overheard countless conversations anticipating the arrival of our elf and these yummy treats.

We also had some special visitors from Houston that weekend! Our good friends, Paige and Blake, stopped over on their way back home from Thanksgiving with family. This was an extra special visit because my boys would finally be meeting their new little buddy, Caleb. We even all went to visit Santa together! Jack was a bit unsure but the promise of a lollipop did the trick. And how sweet that Caleb is wearing one of Jack's outfits from his first Christmas.

My three wouldn't let us leave without a claustrophobic ride on the train.

Next up was tree decorating time. Here's Owen trimming the tree.

They had fun adding the sparkly crystal ornaments.

Jack was into it for a short period of time. His idea of decorating was finding a flat spot on top of a cluster of branches and setting the ornament on it. He didn't quite get the hanging part this year.

We also enjoyed popping in on Numna to see all of her pretty decorations! She just LOVES her snow village (has for years) and always wants the boys to see it. Bless her heart, her dimentia has taken over most of her short term memory, and although she won't recall that we came over, she still gets great joy from seeing us. Thankfully she still has enough of her long term memory that she definitely knows who we are. The boys did get a kick out of the miniature village. Jack was all about role playing and making the very breakable figures walk around and land on rooftops. Luckily there was one plastic reindeer that I sort of convinced him to play with instead.

Here's Numna pointing out all of her favorite details of her village.

If you know my grandmother, you know she loves to whistle. She has told us in the past that she used to whistle with her dad all the time. Her age has taken a toll on her whistling skills; she used to whistle better than anyone I'd ever heard. But, she still finds joy in doing it so her and Mason (currently my only whistler) did an adorable attempt at Jingle Bells together.

Our December weather was a bit wacky (in the pictures with my grandmother above, the kids are wearing shorts!). One cold afternoon we had our frined Emma over to play. Once everyone was nice and cold from being outside, they came in for hot chocolate. Turns out only Owen really likes it. Emma took a few sips, and Mason and Jack traded theirs out for plain ole milk. Here's Mason...

One night after my house was all decorated and everyone else was in bed, I stopped to soak in the season. A fire going, the tree lit up, and evidence that happy kids have enjoyed their day making messes in the living room. Yep. It's the good stuff.

Santa visit #2 was at my parents neighborhood clubhouse. We atteneded last year and they really put on a fun little party. Cookie and ornament decorating, food (including a chocolate fountain that the kids thought was awesome), and a really awesome Santa who came with gifts for all the kids, complete with names on the tag! It really was as if this guy brought his toy sack with him from the North Pole!

Here's Mason showing off his cookie.

Can you tell Owen is my sweet toothed kid?!

Oh boy! Gifts from Santa!

Comparing loot! Legos!

A Thomas the Train bath painting set for Jack! Nail on the head right there. Way to go Santa! (us parents had nothing to do with supplying these gifts)

After the party we spent the rest of the day at my parents house just relaxing and being together. I love the picture below. To me it captures the season perfectly. If only we could slow down every day to enjoy the season more.

The following weekend we had a fun little Christmas feast at my grandmother's assisted living facility. It was a time for all the seniors living there to show off their families to each other! It was so nice seeing so many of these elderly people's kids and grandkids show up to enjoy a meal together. The boys loved it because of the open dessert table! Okay, we ALL loved it. Dessert is one thing Numna can't turn down, no matter how full. I know I come by my sweet tooth honestly!

We tried to get some pics of the kids with her, but between Jack goofing around, and Numna thinking it's her job to make sure they smile (instead of just holding her smile for the brief second Jack decides to cooperate) it was next to impossible to get a good picture. Here are some of the best we took. Mason and Numna below:

I'm telling you, I don't know who is the bigger kid in this picture - my hornary 2 year old, my goofy 6 year olds, or my 91 year old grandmother who gets tickled at just about everything the boys do.

Well we know they're all at least having fun! And let me tell you - there's nothing she loves more than being covered in great-grandbabies!!

The very next day after that wass a last minute visit from Uncle Kyle and Aunt Manda. That morning, the elf had left the fixings for a gingerbread house. The kids definitely had a good time decorating it, okay eating the candy, with Manda.

Love this adorable, chubby 2 year old hand sticking that mint on there.

Ta da!!

I'm not really sure what everyone is watching, but it must be good. I found Owen snuggled up under this blankie and Jack chillin' in his chair chowing down on an apple. The kid loves 'em.

This video was taken on day 4 of the flu. He was feeling much better but still not 100%. I love how he entertains himself so well, even when he's sick.

The last day of school was Christmas party day. Jack was home sick with the flu, so he missed his party (and his Christmas sing-along). Thankfully Granna babysat Jack while Aaron and I went to enjoy the kids parties. Here's Mason getting the first bullseye on pin-the-nose-on-Frosty! He was so proud!

Mommy and Owen. Somehow I got out of there without a picture with Mason. Boo.

I told you, the kid has a legit sweet tooth! There's a cookie under there somewhere.

Owen's class picture.

Later in the day we picked up the kids early from school and headed to Lubbock for the start of our official Christmas celebrations!

Jake and the Firefly Peanut

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 05:12:00 +0000

While Erin went to put Jack down tonight, I went to put the big kids to bed. In typical fashion, as I led Owen and Mason to their beds, they started brainstorming ways to stall. "Can you read us a book?" asked Mason. "No," I replied. "It's way past your bed time already. It's a school night. You need your rest." "But Jack aaalways gets to read a book," protested Mason. Finally I gave in - but just a little bit. "OK. Fine. Get in bed, and I will tell you two a quick story."
I occasionally do this, just to get a few laughs or whatever. I make up a title and then build some goofy story around it. This one was called Jake and the Firefly Peanut:

One day, Jake and his dad went to a baseball game. They were having a great time, watching their home team play and spending time together. Eventually, though, Jake got hungry and asked his dad for a snack. "Sure, son," said Jake's dad. He called out to the guy walking up and down the aisle. "Two bags of peanuts, please!" The guy took Jake's dad's money and handed him the peanuts. As he did, the peanut guy gave the dad a bit of an odd smile. Jake's dad shook it off and took the bags of peanuts.

Jake and his dad opened their bags and dug in. When Jake cracked open the first nut, however, a firefly flew out. He hovered in the air, face-to-face with a shocked Jake. He buzzed for a bit, and then started to speak:

"You have freed me from the peanut!" said the firefly. "In return, I shall grant you three wishes."

"Great!" said Jake. With his first wish, Jake wished for Skylanders Swap Force (this is #1 on Owen and Mason's Christmas list). With his second wish, Jake wished for Lego Indiana Jones for Xbox. And then, with his third and final wish, Jake wished for Owen and Mason to go to sleep.

With that, I told the kids a quick goodnight and headed for the door. "Wait!" called Owen. "I need to tell you my story." I sighed deeply. "Make it quick." Owen proceeded to tell me his version of the story:

One day, Jake and his dad went to a baseball game. They bought some peanuts. When Jake opened his peanut, a firefly flew out. He said "I will grant you two wishes."

"Great!" said Jake. With his first wish, Jake wished for me to have Skylanders Swap Force. With his second wish, he wished for you to read us a book.

I got served.

Pumpkin Patch and Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 04:30:00 +0000

A few Sundays ago we decided to try out a new pumpkin patch/farm. This year we went to the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm (mainly because the big kids were scheduled for a field trip to Sweet Berry). We really enjoyed this new place because it was less crowded and more relaxed. There were several mazes, pumpkin painting, duck races, a hay ride and train ride, and lots of other little things that were perfect for the ages of our kids.

We started with some pictures before there was ever a chance for meltdowns or tired kids or messy clothes! And since they were in such great moods, we got several great ones that I can't narrow down any further. I promise there are more pictures of other things down below!

Below is a TOTALLY random animated gif of the above pictures. I have never seen my photo uploader create this before, nor do I know how it happened this time! I almost deleted it, but thought it was just too cute. Boy can you tell who the ham in the family is!?

The great thing about this farm was all the great backdrops for photos. Here we are in a cool, old truck!

They may be getting big, but they are adorable as ever! And THAT is a genuine Mason (left) smile!

Pretty sure Jack was cutting up and the big kids were laughing at him!

This isn't the best photo of the other two, but Mason's chilled-out pose cracks me up.

Jack is in HEAVEN on this old tractor!!

Haha! Mason's face! I don't know what he was so excited about. We were just walking over to the hay bale maze!

Waiting for the hay ride to start!

These sweet big brothers are making sure Jack doesn't tumble backwards off the hay (again).

The prize pumpkins - some just right for carving, and the others for painting!

Say PUMPKINS!!

Mason. The boy just can't be serious. He's such a goof ball!

Owen. Always photogenic!

Face in hole!

Wonder how tall we'll be when we come back next year!

I do believe this is Jack's first experience with paint. He was pretty pumped about it! So were the big kids!

Owen hard at work!

I was really impresesd with how Jack's pumpkin turned out! The yellow and red were all him, and then he asked for help with the mouth. I helped guide his hand to create a smile - and then he decided on his own to add the little black eyes.

All of a sudden we noticed this stick had hitched a ride in Mason's pocket. Boys!! :)

Owen, Jack, and Mason's pumpkins.

Family photo!

The next night we carved the pumpkins we brought home from the farm. Jack was more than excited to participate until he realized how gooey it was inside. He was content playing with some of the carving tools and pretending to carve the little pumpkin he painted.

Designing!

Owen is proud of his masterpiece!

Mason loves his scary pumpkin!

We also enjoyed dressing up for Owen and Mason's school carnival. Owen and Mason went as Skylanders characters. Mason is Chop Chop and Owen is Tree Rex. Jack, well...he was a bit of a challenge! I had two costumes, each of a favorite character - Dusty from the movie Planes, and Minion Dave. He was super excited about his costumes and even admired himself in the mirror. But after about one whole minute, he declared he was "all done" and wanted the costume off. We were trying to get out the door for the carnival, and I couldn't get ANY costume on Jack. He would just run past me giggling as I tried to catch him. Eventually it occurred to me to use one of the boys' past costumes. He finally ended up dressed as a pirate - mainly because the costume felt like regular clothes. I had to completely distract him with the TV in order to sneak the pants on him though. And he happily (and unexpectedly) agreed to wear his bandana (wasn't having a pirate hat) on his head since Emma would have a bandana as well.

Emma went as Izzy from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Aren't these kiddos adorable!?!

Buddies waiting in line together. They have a precious little bond. She calls him "honey."

Jack getting some help from Dad.

Forget it! Using my hand his much easier! Now, where's that candy?!

Feeling like a big kid on the big kid playground!

Reaping the benefits of winning at the cake walk!

While the big boys were off feeling mystery yucky stuff in a dark tent, these two were perfectly content running from one bounce house to the next, and back again!

Here's that minion costume. Yep. Adorable.

A few nights later was Halloween night! Look! We got a vest on Jack this time!

Fascinated with the light up Mickey pumpkin!

Telling secrets! Love this one!

Our trick-or-treaters!

They were all pretty impressed with these decorations!

Mr. Scott (Emma's dad) happened to have this get-up from his job so he went as a city worker. The plus for us was him stopping traffic as we crossed the street. He was VERY reflective!

Jack hitching a ride with Mom to catch up to the big kids!

Owen's turn to hitch a ride!

After trick-or-treating, we took the kids to see the "zombie" house. This particular house draws tons of traffic since it has at least a dozen life-size zombies in their yard, including a freaky girl in a nightgown slowly swinging and singing a creepy song. On Halloween only they even have actual people dressed up and walking around. We figured the big kids would be fine since they seem to have learned a think or two about zombies from kids at school. Not so! They were both a bit freaked out and Mason spent his time hovering behind one of us. Owen was a little more brave but still didn't get too close. Jack, on the other hand, was all about it! He even requested a picture in front of a couple of the zombies, including the one holding it's own head from a chain attached to it's eyelid! EW! This kid is something else!!

Checking it out!

Trying to be scary too!

Notice the LACK of pictures of my big kids! Haha!!

Roarin' 20's Photo Booth

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 02:48:00 +0000

Aunt Lindsay turned 30 last week and we celebrated with her at her roarin' 20's themed party. It was amazingly decorated, had lots of good food, and good company. The best part was the photobooth and the hilariously awesome pictures we got from it!

First Day of First Grade

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 05:35:00 +0000

Another first day has come and gone and the kids were excited to get going! Owen popped out of bed by his alarm (I was instructed NOT to come in and wake him up) and was already putting on random clothes (he would have been the winner of funky clothes day) when I walked in. I had to remind him that he picked out a new shirt for the big day. "OH yeah! I forgot!"

Mason was excited and also woke up with the alarm, but he was a little slower to pop out of bed. Once he got going though, he was fine!

We peeked in the classroom about 10 minutes later and found Owen making play dough mustaches.

Mason was concentrating on what his teacher was telling everyone to do. He had just finished rummaging through his backpack like everyone else is still doing in this picture.

The end of the day was met with big smiles from everyone and big hugs from Jack. That little guy was practically skipping across the parking lot once he realized we were there to pick up his big brothers! Owen and Mason's buddy, Emma, was also there to surprise the boys at the end of their first day. The rundown from the boys was mostly good - got to see each other and play with their friends from last year at recess, no homework, etc.

The only bummer was that their classes go to PE on opposite days. This (and recess time) was sort of a saving grace last year since they are no longer in the same class. Overlapping those two times of day was a good middle ground and kept being separated much easier. I am sure all will be fine, but I know Mason was bummed. He was counting on PE as a time to see Owen and their other main little friend. Let me back up a bit: this main friend (along with main friend #2) are in Owen's class this year. Leading up to meet the teacher night, I heard nothing but "I hope 'friend #1' is in my class" from both boys. I told them it was only possible for MAYBE one of them to get this friend, but more than likely NEITHER of them would have him in class. During meet the teacher night, Mason realized that not only friend #1, but also friend #2 were BOTH in Owen's calss, AND there wasn't really anyone he had already bonded with in his class. His precious little face immediately dropped the big smile. He tried really hard to not act bummed at meet the teacher, but I could tell. I had to take a moment myself and choke back some tears on his behalf.

Anyway, despite all that, the boys were excited and had a great first day. After we got all 4 kids loaded back up, we headed to Dairy Queen (along with the rest of LISD) for a post-first day treat! And since they said they want to go back tomorrow, I'd say the first day was a success!

Lake Day

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 05:12:00 +0000

We spent an afternoon on Granna and Granddaddy's boat, along with some new friends. The boys had a blast swimming, rafting, sitting on the front of the boat, and being brave jumping off the top of the boat!

Captain Hook

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 03:09:00 +0000

Jack stuck a straw in his mouth at dinner tonight and declared he was Captain Hook. It sorta blows my mind that he understood what he must look like - visualizing the straw as a mustache.
And while you're thinking how cute this kid is, keep in mind this came after a moment of very loud protest when Mommy wouldn't let him have her phone!

21 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 18:57:00 +0000

At 21 months, Jack:

is a complete blabber-mouth! This kid says more sentences, expresses his wishes, repeats the most complicated words, and bosses people around like no other! I love it!
is more coordinated at this age than his brothers were.
loves a good wrestling match with his brothers. If he sees either of them sitting on the floor (usually minding their own quiet business), he will undoubtedly flop on top of them, hoping they'll take the hint. How could they not? They've got a human between them and whatever it was they were doing! Luckily, they love any and all attention Jack will give them.
loves to be tickled! His way of letting you know is either telling you "tickle Mommy/Daddy/etc" but really means Mommy/Daddy/etc tickle Jack. The other way you will know is he will turn around backwards and back up to you with a big grin on his face, and lay back on you.
thinks he's older than he is. Not just a few years older, say 6, like his brothers...he thinks he's 23 and should be able to drive a car, tell people what to do, and have his own iPhone.
will confiscate you iPhone before you can blink, swipe to unlock, find the yellow flower icon, and will flip through the photos for as long as you let him. He LOVES looking at pictures of his family more than any baby/kid app that exists! He even knows that the little triangle will start a video. All I'm sayin' is thank GOD for iPhone photo albums! It has kept our little loud mouth quiet in situations when he really needs to be!
is completely content if you let him play in the car, trying out his brothers' big car seats, trying to buckle things, climbing in and out of his own car seat, and his favorite - pretending to drive or be the passenger. Today, as he was pretending to drive (I was standing outside the open driver's door) he told me "Mommy, get in car!" The boy was ready to go!
knows what he wants and will tell you in no uncertain terms! He has become quite bossy lately - luckily it is still pretty darn adorable! Some of his commands lately:

he loves to buckle his chest clip on the carseat. He isn't very good at it and only gets it about 10% of the time. So we stand there and give him a few tries to get it right before we help him. He picked up on this, and now he tells us to "get in car" before he will buckle it. He doesn't want ANY supervision at all! And until you leave (pretend to get in the car), he won't even try.
Will do this to anyone, but yesterday he very firmly tapped the ground and said "Daddy sit down." Once Daddy sat, he then said "Daddy lay down." Once Daddy laid down, he said "tickle Daddy" (which means Daddy tickle me).

really, really enjoyed his first "real" trip to Disney World. He was only 3 months old when he went the first time, so this time he was out of his mind excited about EVERYTHING! He was a little nervous on certain rides because it was dark or had weird noises, but still made it through by nuzzling into my shoulder. His favorite rides were Tomorrowland Speedway, Teacups, Dumbo, and the Royal Carousel. He also went bananas over the electric parade (who wouldn't)!
is super attached to his "nigh-night," which is the name for these certain blankies he snuggles.

This kid, Napoleon

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Sat, 04 May 2013 06:08:00 +0000

People ask me all the time how Jack is compared to twins. Here is my answer:

Owen and Mason were, and still are, pretty mellow kids. They've never been classified as mischiveous, rambunctious, or dare devils. Yes, they have their moments, but on the whole it's just not who they are.

Then there's this other kid of mine. He is a rascal in every single sense of the word! He's the climb up the ladder before he could walk, empty the cabinets, run faster in the opposite direction, color on the walls kind of kid. And we LOVE that about him. Every family needs one, right? And at not even 20 months, he already has enough language skills that he can form sentences from his own thoughts (not just repeating adults), and somehow boss you around until he gets what he wants. I've also heard him griping at other people; Owen was being slow to buckle up after getting in the car from school. Jack noticed and began saying 'Owen, go!' trying to get Owen to focus on what he should be doing. These traits have earned him the nickname 'Napoleon,' as in Bonaparte, the tiny general. Haha!

So today, I witnessed a 'Jack in a nutshell' moment, which was the inspiration of this post...

He found Owen and Mason's markers and asked to color. I plopped him in his high chair and handed him just one marker and a handful of crayons. I then gave him some paper (enough to scatter over the entire tray) and explained to him to color on the paper, and even demonstrated (again) what he was to do. He was safely entertaining himself, so I resumed what I had been doing. A few minutes later, I hear him repeating to himself 'Jack, paper. Jack, paper' as he's scribbling his marker ALL over the high chair tray! Yep, that's my kid.

18 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 05:50:00 +0000

Talk about sneaking up on me! I'm not really sure how we got to 18 months so quickly! I am continually amazed each day that my sweet, cuddly, smily, bottomless-pit baby is now a crazy, silly, adorably energetic toddler! And let me tell you, he's a trip! I pass this milestone with a bit of nostalgia because Jack is our last little guy, so I'm trying hard to remember his adorable little well...everything. The way he flashes that six-toothed grin that melts your heart, the way he says 'mommy' in his sweet voice, the way he gets excited about something and takes off running with that precious toddler gait.

At 18 months, Jack:

weighs 24 1/2 pounds.
is a bundle of energy and then some! He is pretty much always on the move or climbing something.
has been gnawing his fingers due to finally cutting some new teeth! He got the six he has 7.5 months ago! Now he's getting two top molars and at least his lower left lateral incisor.
sleeps from 7:30 pm to about 8 am, and still likes his morning naps about 2 hours after he wakes up. These usually last about an hour or a little more. Afternoon naps are harder to come by, as they fall right around the time the big kids get out of school. He has to be extremely tired to fall asleep in the car (O and M would sleep nearly every time we went anywhere). And the poor kid is too light of sleeper so if he does doze off in the car, he's sure to wake as soon as O and M get in the car after school.
made it through a pretty rough 4 days of a nasty virus (lots of coughing, sore throat, 103+ fever, and congestion) with NO ear infection! Thank you tubes! No doubt we would have had one in the past with all the gunk he had going on.
has special blankies with special powers that induce sleepiness and cuddling.
is particular about his night time routine. First things first, he likes Mommy to be the one to tuck him in. I think this stems from me nursing him until he was one. Now that he doesn't nurse or take a bottle before bed, we sometimes just rock for a little bit in the same rocking chair we used to use. He lets me know if he's in a rocking mood though, because he will either clutch his blankies and point/dive towards his crib, or he will rest his head on my shoulder, point to the rocking chair, and say "chair." This means he wants to sit and rock for a bit. When I put two and two together that this is what he was meaning, my heart melted into a little puddle, and now I don't dare skip the "chair" if it is requested. Cherish these times, right!!
can run, and loves to use his skill to lure you into a game of chase. He starts this game by running away from you while squealing, giggling, and checking over his shoulder to make sure you're coming after him.
loves to start this game of chase in our living room, run down the length of our house, round the corner into the hallway towards his room, and flop himself onto his playmat in the corner of his room (which is the cue to tickle him). He likes to do this in stores and other public places as well. It usually starts because he's walking off and we hustle over to guide him back. I've learned that when he's reached his boundary, it is best to calmly and nonchalantly walk toward him. If you wait too long and then have to really hurry to catch up to him (even if he is just walking at this point), he automatically goes into chase mode - picking up speed, checking over his shoulder, and giggling with delight!
has shown that he understands much of what I say to him. Some I've noticed lately are "lay down, I have to change your diaper," "go give this to so-and-so," "go sit down in your chair and you can have your ba-ba" (sippy cup, no we're not still on bottles!). I've actually been a bit surprised by the things he does after saying something once. I fully expect non-action because a) he's one, and b) I used to have to repeat and repeat myself to my older kids to get them to pay attention.
doesn't care for lettuce and will hand you back the one stray shred that made it into his mouth because it was stuck on something else.
can identify hair, ears, eyes, nose, teeth, tongue, hands, fingers, elbow, belly button, feet, toes.
still loves books, mainly books with real photos in them. And mostly books about vehicles of any kind, or animals. He doesn't care so much to sit and listen to a story. He wants to turn the pages back and forth, point to everything he knows, say or attempt to say what it is or make it's noise.
tilts his head back and howls when asked what a wolf says. It is the cutest thing I've ever seen. Seriously. Thanks, Granna, for teaching him that one!
plays really well independently. Usually a queit kid=trouble, but when I go check on him, I usually find him in his room surrounded by all his wooden trains and trucks, concentrating on making that one wheel spin with his little pointer finger.
responds, when asked if he's a toot, by pointing to himself and saying "I toot."
tries to put on his brother's shoes.
gets a sly look as he tries to get away with something. This is especially noticed when he's testing his physical boundries. He'll creep further and further away, stopping every so often to look back at Mom or Dad with that glimmer in his eye, waiting to see if we're gonna stop him. If not, he slys it up a little more and starts running as fast as those baby legs can go! He also likes to do this while waiting for Mason's allergy shots. The door in the waiting room doesn't fully close without a good push and you can be sure that if it is left with even the slightest crack in it, Jack will notice and escape into the foyer with that devilish grin.
loves, I mean LOVES, to dig in sand or dirt or mulch or whatever he can find.
is obsessed with being outside. Everything is fascinating to him outside. He'll look for birds, spy the moon, run wild in the opposite direction, dig in the sand, climb the playscape with no help, jump on the trampoline, step on leaves, draw with chalk, pick up rocks, point out cars, ride his tricycle, but he will NOT sit still. :)
likes to scribble with chalk and crayons and will request to "cu-wer" (color) or asks for "talt" (chalk) to draw on the chalk board wall (and other walls because he doesn't understand the difference yet). I've learned to just give him the white chalk - it blends into our paint color much better than the bright orange. :)
will sit still for an episode of 'Jack's Big Music Show' and will let you know when he needs some down time by saying 'ha hoo hi sow' (Jack's music show).
produces 's' sounds on that fall at the ends of words with an inward breath. So the word 'shoes' for example would start with a regular s sound (because he says syoos), but then he sucks in to make that last 's' sound. Whatever works I guess.
learned how to shimmy his way onto our quite tall master tub surround. He perched himself up there the other day while I was in the shower and gave a few of his tub toys a bath under the running water (which he turned on).
figured out the latch on the baby gate door and made it halfway up the stairs before he was caught!
LOVES the train table upstairs! Yes! Bringing it back to life! Owen and Mason have been over it for some time now.
is still learning words faster than we can keep track and is starting to put 2 words together. Today I heard 'syoo off.' Not sure if he was telling me it came off, or letting me know he wanted it off/was taking it off. Either way,the shoe was half off of his foot.
likes pretending to take everyone's temperature via their ear (usually with an empty medicine syringe), or he will pretend to squirt saline up people's noses, including his own AND the dog's, with a saline can he confiscated (don't worry, he can't actually work it, and besides, it's saline!).
is working on learning patience. The poor kid gets frustrated that his Eggo waffle isn't ready the minute it comes out of the freezer. I know, first world problems. The other day, instead of fretting about me putting it in the toaster, he looked at me with wide eyes and said 'cookin' with the same inflection in his voice that I've said it to him. It was adorable!
adores blueberries and very clearly calls them by name.
tries to wipe his own rear end. Thankfully it isn't during diaper changes! This usually happens when I sit him up on the changing table. He can reach the wipes when he's sitting up, so he'll grab one and reach around behind himself and start wiping his bottom.
hollers for his best buddies Owen (says this one pretty clear), Mason (hasn't quite mastered pronouncing this one yet), and Emma (easy peasy).
is unbelievably good at mimicking our words. He doesn't retain them as new vocabulary words necessarily, but he will repeat with undeniable clarity (and the same inflection) a 4 or 5 word phrase that someone just said.
likes to take cuddle or quick hug breaks with Mommy in the midst of playing. He will run over toward where I'm sitting with a big grin and his hands outstretched.
lays down on his 'piwow' pet with a big grin, which lasts all of 2 seconds. Literally.
can step down a single step without using his hands or backing down on his belly. Can almost step up a single step but usually puts his hands down once he's gotten both feet up the step. Too much momentum I guess.
notices, and does not like when someone takes his toy. Especially his 'Makeen' (Lightning McQueen) cars. Even if he's set it down, if he plans to come right back to it and it is missing, the kid goes bananas!
enjoys bringing you one of the boys' iPods so he can watch Baby Einstein. He started out calling them 'bipods' but now he calls them by their correct name. The iPad is also lugged to us for games/movies (we have it in a kid case) which is also called an iPod.
gets a kick out of brushing his teeth, especially when you let him hold the tooth brush!

16 and 17 month updates

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:08:00 +0000

16 months

At 16 months, Jack:

is 24 pounds.
learned elbow (the location of it and how to say it) in about 5 minutes!
learned where his ears are.
has a little run goin' on.
loves bouncing in the trampoline with his brothers.
on his own, shouted out "back pack" when we picked up the kids after school.
had his first hair cut!
has decided that Aaron and I are no longer Mama and Dada. We are now very clearly Mommy and Daddy.
obsessed with the Roomba. Obsessed.
loves reading books. He also likes to sit and read them on his own.
had tubes put in his ears on Jan. 10.
will tell you he's ready for nap/bed by saying "nigh night."
is trying really hard to say his brothers' names. Right now they both are named "ha ha."
has had a language explosion in the last week or so. Jack has added:

elbow (bo-bohhhh)
nose
Mason/Owen (ha-haaa)
back pack
iPad
cow/moo
monkey sounds (ooh ooh ooh ooh, over and over again)
*growl* (lion, tiger)
elephant sound, making a trunk with his arms
baby
birdy (beedee/teet teet)
sock (cok)
star (tar)
choo-choo (too-too)
airplane (?)
apple (ba-hull)
tree (tee)
duck/quack quack (uck/kak kak)
truck (uck)
bye-bye
hi (enthusiastically says it and waves)
Mimi
bubble (buh-boh)

can identify (point to, sometimes saying name) in books/surroundings:

lion/tiger
baby
apple
banana
night night (points to sleeping baby)
duck
puppy
kitty
choo choo
airplane
moon
star shape
truck
sippy cup (points and says ba-ba)
book

can identify on self:

elbow
ears
eyes
nose
belly button
fingers
toes
knows shoes go on his feet

________________ _________________ __________________ _________________

17 months

At 17 months, Jack:

loves dancing to Gangnam Style with his brothers.
will repeat just about anything you say with pretty good clarity. I don't remember Owen and Mason having such control over their sounds that their mimicking was decipherable. Some of our favorites for him to repeat have been:

Aww man!
Oh-wen! May-hen! (trying to break down the big boys names for him to learn).
mimicking perfectly the sound the macaws were making at the zoo.

loved his first zoo experience in Fort Worth! He is more of an animal kid than Owen and Mason ever were. So far, he really loves elephants, tigers (or lions, which he thinks are one in the same), and primates.
lets us know loud and clear that it's time to get out of his carseat by declaring "unbuckle, unbuckle!"
loves sweet things as well as all other foods! He comes by his sweet tooth honestly and can't help but demand a bite if he sees you eating something yummy! It always surprises me how he inherently knows what things are treats, even if he's never seen us eat it before!
points the remote control at the television to make something happen. Sometimes it works.
Seems to be an organizer. I've noticed he will purposefully stand his animal figures up on their feet when setting them down, even if he's done playing with them. I've also seen him mess with some non-toy items and when he's done, he returns the items to the place he pulled them from. How do I transfer this to toy items?! Ha!
legitimately thinks there are tigers roaming freely and will start calling for them (once through our backyard fence) if we are in areas with lots of natural surroundings, like a wooded park trail.
has discovered the joy of digging in the dirt or sand!
requests to color.
loves his pull-toys, particularly Snoopy and his train.
is fascinated with running water plus little cups while in the tub.
has started showing that he understands what we are saying by following commands. I've even had him follow a 2 step command on a couple of occasions. Another one he's done - while asking me for milk, I'll tell him "your milk is on the coffee table" and he will walk over and get it.
enjoys down time by watching "Jack's Big Music Show." What can I say, the kid loves music!
says things that I don't even know where he learned them from. Most recently he saw a commercial about Dora. He said "back pack, back pack." Okay, we don't even WATCH Dora in this house. Like at all. So...?
Has added so many words to his vocab lately that I have lost count. The spot on mimicking doesn't help in this ongoing mental tally either. He'll pretty much say what you say, and then remember it for next time. He does have a few new high frequency words though. Some of his new favorite words are:

motorcycle (mo-ho-hi-cull)
bicycle (bi-hih-cull)
helicopter (hih-ca-ter)
Jaxie (daxie) (our dog's nickname)
tiger (guy-ger)
gorilla (illa)
Pablo (character on Backyardigans)
fire truck (hi-huck)
unbuckle (yep, he says it just like that)
ladybug (bicka bicka bug)
cookie and cacker
color (cowor)
flower (ower)
peek-a-boo (peek-boo)

Here are some short videos of Jack talking. Gotta document this sorta thing!

Bicka bicka bug!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:55:00 +0000

Hello

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:38:00 +0000

Quick Learner

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:24:00 +0000

I talked about elbows and ears yesterday for about 5 minutes. He remembered today! And I had no idea he knew fingers! I love this stage! It is so fun helping them learn!

Jack's First Hair Cut

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:37:00 +0000

Welp, we finally did it.

I was reluctant for so long because Jack had such cute little baby curls. Neither one of his brothers had any hint of any sort of bend in their hair, so the light tough of curling behind his ears was so adorable to me! It suck out in the cutest way and just seemed to add to his personality. But it was getting noticeably long, especially when his hair was wet...a good two inches past his hair line in the back. It just didn't look that long when dry because it curved (I wouldn't even call it a curl) under. We started realizing it was longer than we thought when more and more people kept calling our 'he' a 'she.'

Okay, FINE! We'll cut it. Yeahhh...I thought I was ready. When he started looking like a little boy instead of a baby, I got a bit teary. I didn't have that reaction with Owen and Mason. I guess knowing this is our last baby makes it worse. (Ugh, I don't wanna know what I'll be like on his first day of Kinder!) But he sure does look adorable with his big boy hair!

Before

Before, yep, carseat hair

See my favorite little baby curl right behind that ear!?

Annnnd, there it goes...

Doing good, checking out a shark. No big deal.

Being very patient.

A hug from his sentimental mommy.

After!!

No more curls behind those ears. :(

Christmas 2012 - the epic post

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 22:33:00 +0000

This Christmas was a fun, hectic, busy, and crowded Christmas! But that's how we like it! We had lots of family in town, and since the big group of us can spread out over 2 houses, it actually worked out as far as sleeping arrangements go. All 18 of us gathered at our house for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Talk about LOTS of presents being exchanged!

The whole gang: Lindsay, Eduardo/Papi, Manda, Kyle, Linda, Caitlin, Brad, Rusty/Granddaddy, Erin, Aaron,
Mary, Owen, Tammy/Mimi, Numna, Jack, Jan/Granna, Mason, Bee (and Bella)

We learned that is a lap-hopper! He doesn't care who's lap, he just wants to read books! Here are some of his stops on Christmas Eve:

Daddy's lap

Numna's lap

Granddaddy's lap

And back to Numna's lap after bath and jammies

Caitlin and Linda enjoying Christmas Eve

This video is of Numna and Jack playing patty cake. Numna was getting so tickled because Jack was holding her hands and making her continue to play with him.

Great grandmothers! (O, M)

Mason snuggling up to Numna and Jack

Jack was in such a good mood on Christmas Eve!

Being a ham:

Our Christmas Eve homemade (by Aaron) lasagna dinner was delicious!

Getting excited before bedtime! (O, M)

Hamming again

Watching his brothers get a plate ready for the reindeer. (O, M)

They took the job very serious

Caitlin and Linda made some Christmas cookies that Owen and Mason were happy to share with Santa

Morning!!

We made cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Yum!!

Owen

Mason

Bee visiting with Jack while he eats

Mason, Lindsay, and Owen wishing everyone would hurry up for presents!

M, J, and O with Numna on Christmas morning

Couldn't decide which picture was cuter so I included them both!

Passing Jack around, stalling for present time while everyone gets ready and fed

Okay, it's that time!! (O, M)

Helping Jack on his first ride

The boys were so sweet to help guide Jack down slowly for his first time.

Loved the Cozy Coupe

Books from Santa (O, M)

Long-awaited Star Wars masks! (O, M)

Opening their cool new light sabers (O, M)

Fun reaction to the light sabers!

"THE" big gift... (M, O)

Santa tricked us! A box in a box! (M, O)

IPODS!!!!! (M, O)

Already checking it out

More of the group happily opening their goodies

Numna admiring her box of chocolates! Her favorite!

Bee looking through the photo book of Owen, Mason, and Jack

Jack taking a break between gifts

A vacuum from Santa

Mason as General Grievous

Owen as Darth Maul

The boys made sure to let Jack watch while they opened the gifts he gave them

Awesome! A Star Wars Kinect video game! (O, M)

Enamored with Jack's gyro-bowl (O, M)

Presenting Mimi and Grandma Mary with the gifts they made

It was some drawings from Owen and Mason

I think she likes it! (M, O)

Jack becoming hypnotized by Granddaddy rubbing his back

Getting the hang of ripping off that paper!

Kyle and Manda exchanging their gifts

Mason, so proud of his handmade wrapping paper!

And his handmade art for Mommy and Daddy

Owen made some art too...

A cool ramp for bike-riding from aunt Lindsay

Owen getting a thank you spin

Mason has to spin too, of course!

M and O seeing their trampoline from Granna and Granddaddy for the first time

The whole gang (minus Mommy who was taking the picture) at Christmas Day lunch

Stocking time (M, O)

The kids really got a kick out of opening their stockings this year.

Reading him "Pat the Bunny" from Aunt Lindsay

Mason and Owen picked out this light-up turtle for Jack all by themselves.

More books!

Lindsay showing Jack the train she got him

A pull Snoopy from Mommy and Daddy

Daddy helping Jack open his new blanket

Granna and Jack driving their pretend car

Leave us alone! We have NEW ipods!!! (M, O)

And now, in our family fashion, here is a group of the same photo but in every combination:

Mommy's side (O, M)

The great-grands! (O, M)

Daddy's side (M, O)

More great-grands!

The Crews five

Aaron and his brother with their wives

Sisters

With Aunt Lindsay (O, M)

With their Aunt Manda and Uncle Kyle (M, O)

Jack and Grandma Mary enjoying breakfast the day after Christmas

Owen relaxing on the couch and playing with his new toy!

One more funny video of the boys playing with one of their new gifts:

Our Blessing Bag Party

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 07:32:00 +0000

I'll admit I haven't been very good at teaching the kids about giving to others. I have looked into volunteering, but in past years have not been successful finding somewhere for kids of their age to help. So instead we do all the easy stuff, like bring cans for the school can drive and collect change for "pennies for patients." But to me, young kids can't grasp what exactly these dotations are for, much less where they go and who they help. This year I decided I wanted to do something more tangible, so we organized a 'blessing bag' party.

In case you are unfamiliar, blessing bags are bags full of toiletries, snacks, and water with the intent to be handed out to homeless folks. All the guests were responsible for a certain number of a certain item. I took my boys shopping and they helped me hunt for the particular items we were in charge of. I wanted them to get into the WHOLE process and get excited about buying something for someone else. We convened at our house and all the kids went to work stuffing their bags. But first, we made some Christmas cards to add to the bags...

Here's Lily getting some help with her cards.

Mason drawing some Christmas-y pictures.

Most of the gang gathered around and coloring.

Mason showing us his cards, complete with snowmen!

Owen chose to keep it simple and write Merry Christmas and sign his name.

This one got a lovely red Christmas tree with blue lights.

And then it was time to fill our bags with the goodies:

Here is the chaos that was bag stuffing!

The kids had a blast fetching the next item on the checklist.

Here's Owen grabbing some tissue, and Emma coming back with trail mix!

My cute boys (M, O) hopefully learning about giving!

Here is a group shot of all the kids (Charlie Jane is in there, just hiding behind her bags) and all the blessing bags!
In the end we made somewhere around 40 bags!

And then it was time to deliver the bags! The boys were anxious for this step but we had to wait for Daddy to become available after finals before hitting the streets. Yes, we could have dropped them to people on the corners of busy intersections, but that would have been ME (or Aaron) in the front seat with the kids (who I'm trying to teach the lesson to) all the way in the 3rd row not taking an active role. I wanted them to at least be able to hear what the recipient's response was. Sometimes it is their response that makes you feel like you've done something good. We headed to the homeless shelter downtown only to find more than 50 people standing around outside. We didn't want to have to choose who to give our few bags to, nor did we want to create any arguments, so we decided to stay about a block away and hand our bags to the onesie-twosie groups of people we found. Aaron wasn't thrilled with the idea of approaching strange people with his family in tow. I can't say I blame him. I think there is a stigma that these types of people are somehow dangerous. However, I had to remind him that most likely, these were just people who fell on hard times. The beauty of it was seeing it through the eyes of the kids. They are 5 and not jaded about it yet. To them these people were just people. And so they took turns marching proudly (not fearfully) up to each person, outstretching their bag, and asking if they would like some goodies. Every person we approached was grateful. We got lots of thank you's, God bless you's, Merry Christmases, and warm looks of gratitude as we handed over the bags. One guy even said "that was a very big thing you did young man." I hope they remember his comment. Owen and Mason ended each encounter with a jolly "Merry Christmas" and hopefully a better understanding of helping those who are less fortunate.

Here we are (M, O) downtown near the homeless shelter ready to deliver our bags!
(Yes, shorts and t-shirts in mid December!)

Preparing for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:04:00 +0000

I love tree decorating day!

Owen hanging one out of Jack's reach.

Jack watching and learning our family traditions.

He was enamored with all the lights on the tree!

Owen hanging a homemade ornament.

Every year I like to get a pic of the kids. This year was a little more difficult with a squirmy, climb-y one year old! Our attempt went something like this:

Jack buns

Look at me! I'm so sneaky!

Hanging onto Owen's hair for balance.

Actually, Owen's head is more stable.

Somehow picture-taking turned into a
game of peek-a-boo! (M)

Safe to say we all had fun trying to get a picture! (O)

Got it! (O, M)

Safe to say we all had fun trying to get the picture!

Owen topping the tree. Mason got to plug it in.

Jack finds shredding tissue paper more entertaining.

Jack found the ladder! Owen is there
to make sure he doesn't fall.

Not sure who's giving who a ride. (M)

Owen had to try too.

The dog kept pestering Aaron. We finally realized he wanted to be held
(VERY odd for this dog). Jack also wanted to be held. Had to get a picture!

Jack squatting over a ~~toilet~~ basket playing with his Nativity set.

Cute Mason! He's getting so big, but still so sweet and cuddly!

Jack found a seat and a bag of goldfish, to which he helped himself.
Since when do 1 year olds know how to open a ziplock?

Obsessed with the shopping cart!

I'm cute in my Santa hat (that was my brothers' on their 1st Christmas)!

One day we picked Numna up at her new place and had her over for several hours. She really enjoyed seeing the kids, they just bring her so much JOY! I am so glad my children will be able to say they knew her!

Owen riding the horse Numna gave the boys for Christmas
when they were 18 months old.

Owen lovin' on Numna.

This is such a neat picture of Numna with Jack on the horse she bought.

He really got going on his horse. Usually, he will click his tongue every time

he rides it to imitate the hooves.

I don't know if it's her dementia or her genuine LOVE of kids, but she gets SO tickled every time Jack dances. He was pushing this button that made the dog play music and shake his ears around. As usual, when Jack hears music, he dances. And it's extra cute with his Santa diaper!

Hanging out in one of his favorite spots - Numna's lap.
She mesmerizes him! He sees her in person (and in pictures)
and calls her by name. (Nuh-nuh)

After he got fully dressed he came back for
more lap time and a Christmas book.

Numna and Mason

Owen with a sly grin on his face. Check out the top of Numna's hair.
(he snuck a finger puppet up there)

Okay, now one with no puppet!

Adorable and priceless!!

One of my favorite pictures of all time!! (O, M)

Mason's class Cat in the Hat (he came to visit us for a week) hanging out
with Elvis the Elf.

Waiting, watching, for the gingerbread to be done!

15 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 03:05:00 +0000

Oh my gosh, this kid! I think he's going to be the entertainer of the family! He loves initiating games that make people laugh or cheer for him. He will even fake burp if you chuckle or draw attention to his real burp. He is such a ham lately!

At fifteen months, Jack:

weighs 22 lbs. 7 oz. (20%) and is 31.5" tall (57%).
makes SURE he is a participant in the world, not just an observer!
"speaks" sentences with such expression in his face/gestures and conviction in his voice that I'm convinced he knows exactly what he's trying to say even though it sounds like Mandarin.
can climb the big kids ladder AND climbs up the slide without help!
found out he can get on the coffee table and does so on a daily basis.
thinks the Roomba is his new toy and immediately goes and turns it back on if you try to turn it off.
will throw a fit if he sees Owen and Mason go outside and he can't go. The boy HAS to be outside. I don't remember Owen and Mason being SOO into it.
has started diving for his bed at night despite his normal routine of snuggling for a few minutes before laying down. I guess he's just THAT tired.
normally goes to bed in the 7:00 hour.
naps twice a day.
eats as much (and sometimes more depending on the meal) than the big kids. It is just about impossible for me to believe this kid is only the 20% for weight (lower on some depending on the chart used)!!
has not sprouted any new teeth. We're still rockin' a very adorable 6-toothed smile.
has to get tubes put in his ears in January.
has finally mastered walking. He started really going around 14.5 months, with his first 4 steps being on his 14 month birthday.
is building quite the vocabulary but it is still hard to decipher. Some of the things he says are:

bottle (baba) We've switched to sippy cups, but he still says 'baba.'
puppy (he says this clear as day)
kitty (kee)
Jaxson (not exactly sure how he says this one but it's the same 2 syllables every time)
bath (ba)
outside (sigh) *infrequent
Numna (Nuhna)
Granddaddy (andada)
Dada
hi (clear as day and usually with a great big wave)
bye (clear as day but with a little umph behind it to make sure everyone knows its time to go)
ball (bah)
I want banana (Iwanana)
I want bottle (Iwanbaba)
light (ight)
Mama
book (as he brings you a book)
button (bu-mmm)
night night (nigh nigh as he grabs his blankie and lays on it)
poo poo *infrequent
uh-oh (usually said before he drops something to the ground)
Jack (dat) *haven't heard this one too much, may have been a fluke
rock (says 'ock' and points at the pavement, rock, etc)
moon (moong)

knows where his belly button is.
understands simple phrases like "let's go take a bath," "let's go outside/bye bye" and demonstrates his understanding by going or doing whatever the action is.
likes to bring people their shoes. Actually, he has no idea who's shoes belong to who so he just brings you any shoes.
gets a huge grin when he spots the moon after being asked where it is.
loves sitting in Mommy's lap and watching videos of himself or his brothers on the phone.
has made it his mission in life to shut all of our doors even if it means closing himself in the room.
has discovered the joy of "I'm gonna get you" by walking around and around our kitchen/living room wall, all while squealing and looking over his shoulder.
thinks the world looks cool if he bends over and looks between his legs upside down. He chooses to do this at very random times which make for some pretty funny moments.
enjoys making up games like "fall down on purpose" and "say uh-oh as I step off the hearth slab."
turns his riding toys on their side so he can spin the wheels (and if he could, he'd flip real cars on their sides too!)!
climbs up and down stairs like he's been doing it for years.
still has a 'thing' for Granddaddy.
has some sort of magnetic opposition to the direction we want him to walk. He turns right back around if you redirect him. You pretty much have to pick him up, spin in a circle or two so he loses his bearings, and set him back down the way you want him to go.
LOVES being read to. He will bring you books and climb up in your lap.
adores Numna and will sit with her and listen to her talk to him for a long time.
can't help but dance when he hears music. He also has to click his tongue to the beat.
plays independently pretty well.
is OBSESSED with things he can push. He loves Owen and Mason's toy shopping carts and happily crashes them into our walls. He loves to help me push the stroller when we're out and we have to hide Numna's walker if you hope to get his attention. He has also been known to ditch the stroller and make a b-line for a stranger's shopping cart and take over for them.
has an unusually long attention span when it comes to matchbox cars. He loves tinkering with the wheels.
has a devilish twinkle in his eye and an expression in his brow that can probably be attributed to his Uncle Kyle!

A Christmas-y Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 04:21:00 +0000

Breakfast with Santa at the kids' school

Before Aaron headed to his last half day of class for the semester, we went to the kids' school to see Santa (#1 of 2 that day) and eat some (cold) donuts. Mmmmm!

Oh look, a jingle bell. Jack will enjoy it. Let's let him play with it.
He's old enough not to put it in his mouth, right?

We're good parents, I swear.

With Santa's helpers.

Santa's Cookie Shop at Rough Hollow

Granna and Granddaddy's neighborhood put on a wonderful little party for the kids one Saturday. They had cookie decorating, ornament making, yummy treats (the kids first encounter with a chocolate fountain), a bunch of Owen and Mason's friends were there, as was Santa (the REAL Santa). He brought each kid an individually wrapped gift with their name on it. Jack got a fun little bath toy, and both big kids got a pack of matchbox cars. They were SO blown away because Santa knew exactly what they'd like! It was awesome and it may have bought me a couple extra years of believing! Thanks, Santa!

Strawberry on a stick

Checking out the lake below

Owen and his red icing!

Mason adding some blue sprinkles

Helping Owen add buttons to his gingerbread man (read: more icing! he is my son!)

Mason and his finished cookie, and a leeetle extra sprinkles!

Owen and lots of extra icing!

Jack, new at walking!

So serious!

Making an ornament with Mason

Owen, proud of his ornament

Mason and his finished ornament

This year's Santa picture (M, J, O)

Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting

After Aaron was done with school for the day, we joined back up with him to walk over to the Capitol for the tree lighting. It was pretty fun seeing the Capitol up close and explaining to the kids what it's for. We had fun singing carols (especially Feliz Navidad), watching the lights dance to the music, and seeing all the crazy bikes from the Austin Bike Zoo. After the tree was lit, we strolled down Congress and ate dinner at the Driskill Hotel. Yum!

Waiting to ride the funny reindeer/sleigh bike contraption.

Our turn

Obsessed with lights!

Driskill dinner (O)

Mason and Mommy at dinner

We saw a pedi-cab with a big Darth Vader, complete with working light saber, on the back. After we took this picture the Imperial March played loudly as the driver peddled away. It. Was. AWESOME! We should have ridden just for fun!

Owen in the weird, long, rattlesnake bike.

Mason in the rattlesnake.

Getting eaten by the snake!

Sledding down the hill at the capitol.

We also got a tour of Aaron's school building and classroom. Here are the boys sitting where Daddy sists during class. They were kind of shocked at how boring Daddy's classroom looks compared to theirs!

By the end of the day, we were all wiped out! It was good family time though!

Thanksgiving in Lubbock

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 05:59:00 +0000

This year we hit the road to visit Mimi and Papi in Lubbock. We don't get up there as much as we'd like, so it was a nice trip - and we actually got to stay for a good amount of time!

Watching the Macy's parade (M, O)

They spotted a cool float!

The whole gang (minus Aunt Manda) at our delicious meal.

Mason and Daddy goofing around with the camera.

Relaxing outside.

Watching his brothers run around.

Catching rolie-polies with Uncle Kyle.

Got one!

Jack was watching intently and so curious about this little bug.

Chubby little baby hand!

Goofy game time with Uncle Kyle (M).

Owen couldn't keep a straight face.

Best brothers (O, M)

Jack playing with some of Daddy's old toys.

Owen climbing trees.

Jack was loving his new walking skills!

Mason caught playing soccer.

Just fun in the nice weather.

Mason having fun.

Cute in my winter gear.

Leaning in for kisses.

Owen and Mason.

Exploring the cotton fields.

Mason, Jack, and Owen

Having fun getting dirty!

Mason

Owen giggling!

Owen being cute!

Jack Dancing

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Aaron) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 06:04:00 +0000

He knows how to turn on and turn up Numna's Jimmy Buffet cd! License to
chill, baby!!

Jack's One Year Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 04:26:00 +0000

Back at the very end of August we did a photo session for Jack's upcoming 1st birthday. This time around it was kids only and boy did the pictures turn out awesome! Just for reference, Owen is wearing the suspenders, Mason the vest.

Thanks, Sleeping Owl Photography!