This week started off with a Monday at home. Since our daycare was closed until July 21 (Tuesday), I switched my day off for the week and stayed home with the boys. Being that we were all still recovering from our vacation it was kind of a LONG day full of grumpiness and we-should-be-napping.
 |
| Swingin' at the park... |
 |
| Ballin'... |
 |
| and eatin' (Avery trying out his new rice cakes...easier than puffs because he can hold the entire thing at once without me handing him each little one...and sugar free) |
The week continued at a fairly hectic pace. Eric and I were both VERY busy with work deadlines and trying our best to balance that with our family life. Throughout the week the weekend seemed like forever away and coming too quickly all at once as we dealt with dropping the kids off, picking them up, feeding everyone and working both in and out of the office (day & night).
 |
| Random Note: I have a confession to make...I play the Candy Crush Saga...a Lot. I started playing it about three years ago after Asher was born. It is a simple game to pass the time while I'm nursing. I continued playing the game afterwards (& no I do not purchase more lives; when my 5 lives are up I'm done). When Avery was born, I continued to play the game when I nurse and after three years I admit to wasting WAY TO MUCH time on the game. However, on Tuesday night I beat a level and got the highest score I've every gotten: More than 5 million! (typically my score is around 300,000. While I am mostly ashamed to admit this, I was pretty excited by this and the fact that it put me in first place for the highest score ever of that level...considering that it is estimated about 93 million people play the game every day, I find that pretty interested...and embarrassing. ;) |
Video: Practice
While we were camping Avery began crawling on his hands and knees (most of the time), but it was also obvious that he was getting closer and closer to walking. When we got home, he was cruising along all the walls and furniture and since his big brother takes away all the practice walking toys whenever Avery tries to use them, Avery came up with his own method of walking practice: chair pushing.
While we were camping Avery began crawling on his hands and knees (most of the time), but it was also obvious that he was getting closer and closer to walking. When we got home, he was cruising along all the walls and furniture and since his big brother takes away all the practice walking toys whenever Avery tries to use them, Avery came up with his own method of walking practice: chair pushing.
 |
| Berries for dessert...YUM! |
Video: First Steps
Two days after I took the video of Avery walking with the chair in the kitchen, he took his first steps...unfortunatley they weren't for me. :( We found out that he took his first steps at daycare. Our caretaker had promised not to tell us, and she didn't...that didn't keep a certain little 3 year old that lives with us from doing the same however. That evening, as I was reading to Asher before bed, I heard Eric cheering upstairs. He had taken a few more steps for Eric...again without me. :( Knowing what the cheering likely meant, I headed upstairs as soon as I said goodnight to Asher. Then he finally took a few steps (& a face plant) for his momma! Yay Avery!
Video: "Butterflier"
Asher & Eric catch" fireflies (aka "butterfliers"), while I put Avery to bed.
When the work week was over, we didn't know what we would have for dinner on Friday night, but since we were both exhausted we did know that we were not cooking. Thus, we were going out, but where? I asked Asher on the way home what he wanted for dinner and his response was that he wanted to eat outside. I thought about the places that we could eat outside and started to name them off. When I mentioned Subway, Asher quickly responded, "Subway. I want Subway." When Eric got home, he wasn't real crazy about Subway, but Asher insisted that is where he wanted to go, so I told Eric he needed to come up with another place to eat that he could get Asher excited about, and THIS is how "The One You Remember" all began...
If you're a parent, you probably know that there are many moments that are forever etched in your brain. Some are wonderful like baby's first steps or an amazing snuggle with your little. Other's though are not so great, but still you will never forget them (e.g. the blowout that Asher had in the car on the way to Ann Arbor that required the windows to be rolled down and an entire strip down at Eric's sister's home or the store tantrum that required leaving my would-be purchases behind to evacuate the area ASAP). On this particular evening our entire dinner experience became one I think I'll always remember. First of all, when Eric was given the task to come up with a new place to eat that he could get Asher excited about, he thought of Texas Roadhouse and told Asher about the peanuts that you can eat there. Moments after he told Asher this, Asher came up to me and excitedly exclaimed, "We going to a restaurant that you can throw penises on the floor!" Even now, I can't type that one without laughing. Thankfully Eric and I had discussed the possibility of Texas Roadhouse before this, so I was able to figure out what he meant. Otherwise I don't know what I would have done.
When we got to the restaurant, we pointed Asher toward the barrel of peanuts. He then grabbed one and put it in his mouth, shell and all. Then he took it out of his mouth and threw it on the floor! We taught Asher how he was actually supposed to eat them and quickly became his slaves to crack open the shells. However, he still didn't understand the throwing on the floor idea. Even though we cracked the shell and gave him the nuts, he continued to take the peanuts out of his mouth and throw them on the floor (with enough gusto to entertain us and those around us). This continued until our table was ready and we were seated.
We sat at our table and ordered our food. Since Asher had pretty much filled up on peanuts he really wasn't interested in eating. Instead he was bouncing all over the booth, spending most of our time there crowding Eric while he tried to eat. Avery, on the other hand, was thrilled that we were eating and double fisted everything we gave him. Eric, Avery and I continued to eat our meal while Asher mostly just pushed his around his plate. Then, all of a sudden Asher picked up a carrot and threw it on the floor. Surprised by the unacceptable action, Eric yelled at him and told him that was not allowed. Moments later, Asher took a piece of broccoli and did the same thing. We both told him that this was completely unacceptable behavior, and while Eric was stewing over the actions of our boy I did remind him that Asher is probably a bit confused by the peanut thing still and doesn't quite understand what can and cannot be thrown on the floor.
Then, as we were wrapping up our dinner, I became to smell the result of Avery's indulgence. Our little guy had a dirty diaper. Since he was wearing a 1-piece shorts outfit that was small on him (think short-shorts) and seated in this little cloth covered chair that hung off the table (provided by the restaurant), I made a comment to Eric about how bad it would be if it were a blow-out. Well, I should have known not to say anything and dare jinxing us. As Eric and I gathered up our things and the kids to leave I could feel that there was indeed something squishy under Avery's clothing...and NOT in the area of his diaper. I handed him to Eric so that I could make sure it hadn't made its way into the cloth seat (thankfully it hadn't) and also to deal with the pounds of food left behind that were in the seat. As Eric went to grab him from me though, I noticed that there was an actual turd beginning to fall out of Avery's shorts (right where Eric was about to place his hand). I quickly warned Eric not to put his hand there and then told him he needed to make sure that nothing came out and landed on the restaurant floor! Eric quickly scooped him up and took him outside to wait for me. After I had cleaned all of the food from Avery's seat (it was an amazing mess) to the best of my ability I quickly left the restaurant to find Eric with the little guy on the sidewalk in front of our van. Since we could not put the little dude in his carseat with the current situation, we opened up the back of the van and changed him there (inwardly apologizing to those around us who were about to enjoy their dinner or had just eaten). The 1-piece outfit that Avery was wearing did not allow us to take it off from the top down, so we had to get it up and over his head; reminder: it was too small. We worked as carefully and neatly as possible to get it off without making things worse and just when I thought we were home free the poopy part of the outfit went right through the top of Avery's hair!!! Eric and I pretty much laughed the whole way home and then Avery got a bath. So, as I said that restaurant experience is DEFINITELY one I'll always remember!
On Saturday, we went to a family reunion for my Grandmas's family at my dad's cousin's home in Illinois. The only people that we really knew there besides my dad's cousin and her sister were my aunts, uncle, cousins and immediate family that came (although I did run into two separate people that thought I was "Megan"). Since it was a gorgeous summer day and the host has a great in-ground pool, we spent most of the time there hanging out in and around the pool. Asher and his little cousins had a great time playing in, sliding into and floating around the water.
Video: Hudson's Jump
 |
| Family photo (of my more immediate family members)...minus Asher. |
 |
| Another try with Asher. |
 |
| Avery & Hudson floating around with Uncle Aaron's help. |
 |
| Tired snuggles with Grandma |
 |
| Asher's (mid-air) jump into the pool. |
 |
| Attempted 4-at-a-time jump... |
 |
| I love that Caleb & Micah are holding hands! |
 |
| Asher's a bit late on the jump, but I love the face he's making! |
2 Videos: More Jumps
When the party was over, it was nearing dinner time and we needed to get the kids something to eat before we went home. So, Mom and Dad, Aaron, Erika and their boys and my Aunt Bonnie and cousin Rachel all headed to Potbelly for one last meal together before we parted ways.
On Sunday, the hectic week came to an end with a relaxing/quiet day at home and church.
No comments:
Post a Comment