Mud, Motherhood and Mayhem

I have yet to master the art of the quick post. I need to take lessons from Alisa, I think. I get behind and it all piles up (like I have such interesting things to write anyway!) and short and sweet is not longer a possibility.

I also tend to try and compose in my head prior to sitting down to the computer. A couple different scenarios result:

1. I don't remember what I decided I would write so I put it off trying to remember.

2. I can't think of anything in the first place so nothing gets written.

There are lots of things I want to remember for myself about the boys and what they are doing. I make mental notes to myself but I think they are written in quicksand because they quickly sink into the depths of my mind. So, I will give it a go and warn you: This could get long and not so interesting!

At Aldi I found this water and sand table for a good price. The kids love it! Ian especially loves splashing in the water. Drinking the nasty stuff takes a close second. I love seeing them play together. I hope that enjoyment continues for them as they get older. Ian is always less than thrilled to be up after naps because he wakes up an hour or more before Noah and only has me to play with. We are usually both relieved when Noah joins the fun.

It has been one of the wettest springs ever around here. We forgot to cover the sandbox one night but this didn't stop the boys. Wet slop is just as much fun as dry sand, I guess.
Mother's Day was a good day for me. I woke up to the biggest (3X4') love note I have ever gotten! It had the hands and feet of all my boys on it. Chris told me that he had passed on the "typical" Mother's Day gifts and instead got me gifts to treat my five senses and I have been enjoying them as well.
Lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes, peas, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and some mysterious squash, maybe, from the compost populate Chris' garden. Zuchini and green beans will go in soon. We missed our window on broccoli and also plan to do some herbs in pots. I agreed to making the garden a little bigger this year. It now spans the whole back fence line.
Just yesterday, I came home from doing some shopping and Chris showed me this picture.
"I turned away to make a sandwich and when I turned back he was like this!"
I suppose a morning of fun with Daddy wiped him out! Or is could be the four teeth coming in, getting over an ear infection or getting over the cold or the inch that he grew in a week (I swear he did. Pants that fit last week are suddenly high waters on him this week!). Eenie, meenie, mynie, moe!
A couple of weeks ago, at his 15 mo well child check up we got his current stats:
32 inches long (1.5 inches growth in 3 mo!)
26 pounds (6 and change weight gain in 3 mo!)
These put him in the 75% for height and weight.
He loves his books and action songs. His current favorite is Little Red Caboose. He just started making the 'toot, toot' sound this weekend. He loves water and Noah and being outside. He is a snuggle bug, which I love! He isn't really talking yet. He makes a real good approximation of 'shut' accompanied by hand motions. But that is pretty much all I have heard. Grandma Leslie might say otherwise. He is a pain in the patootie, picky eater, just like his brother.

Noah has leaned out a lot and lost his little boy, round belly. He is long and lean just like his daddy was at that age (and for years to come!). He still loves his cars and trucks (he has a collection of favorites) and has really enjoyed 'Grandma's trucks' as he calls them. They are the construction trucks that Grandma Mar and Grandpa Jim sent him for his birthday.

"See, I playing Grandma's trucks!"

We have finally gotten it worked out for him to go to Purdue Speech and Language Preschool in the fall. (He is talking a lot more but we hope that this will continue his improvements, especially in language formation. He does have to be potty trained, though, so we are taking on that project as soon as it is warm enough to go with out pants, something all the rain has precluded so far. Wish us luck!

I have also been excited about his willingness to say prayers. Before, he would not pray at all. As he started to speak more and he actually could if he wanted too, he still wouldn't accept any prompting or help about what to say. That is slowly changing and it thrills me more to hear him pray than to hear him say just about anything else!

Other than this we have been trying to get us all healthy at the same time. I think we are almost there and we are so happy!!