The Dump

Normally I do these miscellaneous posts more often but somehow the last six months have flown by and I have been slacking. It is crazy to look at snippets of these boys over the span of six months. Hair grows, pants get shorter, personalities evolve, they stay cute.

Alex (4 years, 2 months):
Weight - 34 pounds
Height - 3 feet, 3 inches

Edison (2 years, 6 months):
Weight - 31 pounds
Height - 3 feet, 1 inch

It didn't seem to warm up until August. So we played outside as much as possible on the warm days. We were still wearing jackets at the end of June. After the snow melted, we got constant rain. It seems to cool down at night and we spent most of the summer with the windows open day and night.

 

 

 

 

 

We went and saw Despicable Me 2 with the Althoffs. It was the girls' first time seeing a movie in the theater.

Our cute little friends turned two in April. Happy birthday, Madisyn and Alexa!

Frozen yogurt is delicious. The boys ask to go every single time we drive by it. I wish we could go that much.

Got to put the kids to work while they're young.

Edison is a punk. I am not just saying that. See below for proof.

 

Edison learned how to climb out of his bed. He did it as often as possible for a while but has since chilled out and doesn't climb out anymore.

He may be a punk, but he is totally a cute punk. And he knows how to work it.

Edison has a freckle on his ankle. He points to it all the time and is very concerned about it being an owie. Once we tell him it is just a freckle he says, "Oh. Right."

We have wardrobe malfunctions sometimes.

I watched Matthew pitch in his AAA debut.

The Williston Toddler Days group had a fun Field Day.

Williston Toddler Days went on a tour of the library. The boys demonstrated how not to behave in libraries.

Williston Toddler Days had a mom's night out.

We go to the library once a week with the Althoffs.

Play dates with so many friends! We love playing with friends and Alex asks me every day if we can invite over some friends.

Alex and Vaughn

We played at the Althoffs a few weeks ago and Alyssa planned a fun marshmallow activity. I was so impressed by Alex making his name out of the toothpicks and marshmallows. He is a smart little boy.

Alex doesn't want to take a nap most days. He falls asleep in his bed about half of the time. If he is being extra wild then I let him stay in the play room and read books but I put a blanket on the floor for him in case he wants to lie down. One day I went in and saw his dinosaur watching over him as he slept. Alex talks in his sleep, too. At full volume. That's always fun to be jolted awake by some gibberish he is yelling. He gets that from Sam.
Sam, asleep at 1:13am: What the what?
Emily: What?
Sam: I thought I saw a katydid.
Emily: A what?
Sam: A reflection of a katydid. I just thought I saw one.
Emily: ???
Sam: {snoring...}

Alex eats two or three apples a day.
Alex: Do you want an apple, Mom?
Emily: No thanks, I have to go to the dentist in a few minutes.
Alex: Then who's going to take care of us?!
Emily: Daddy's coming home.
Alex: Fun!

Sometimes Sam has to go on site visits. He looks so silly.

Declan used to be so tiny!

The boys like to play with their food. So many foods fit wonderfully onto fingers. Mommy didn't even know!

In general, they are just messy eaters. Alex spilled something on the floor and cleaned it up. With his tongue.
Edison gets yogurt out of the fridge and a spoon and helps himself.

This was my first shopping trip with all three boys. I was so impressed with myself. Now it happens every week. They are very cooperative most of the time. Sometimes I get annoyed when we are checking out at the grocery store but I want to work on being more grateful that they are grabbing candy instead of looking at the magazines. Because I know that one day they won't care as much about the candy anymore.

The boys each read one verse from the Book of Mormon before bed. I think looking at the pictures is their favorite part though.

They are both very good at reminding me to say prayers before meals.

If Edison wants to show us something, he yells, "Yuuuuuk!"

Creepy eyes, Sam.

We got a cat. We thought he was a kid but he keeps perching on the window sill. This little cat is left handed like his Grandpa Neil and Grandma Merkley.

Alex is becoming so independent. It is weird.

Once Sam gets home from work, he plays with the boys while I make dinner. He usually takes them outside on a walk or to the park. I make a from-scratch meal every day. Which, I have been told, is not normal. One night I stayed up until 1:45am making 125 cookies for no reason. I really love cooking. I am not the best cook but I love making our food and knowing what I put in it.

Edison is a serial sticker stealer.

I am perpetually tired, behind schedule, and overwhelmed. I guess Sam feels the same.

Alex learns things very quickly but they aren't always the good things. He has started saying, "You're such a baby" because a little boy said it to him at the park one day. My attempt at "That's so silly. He doesn't even know what a baby is!" didn't work. He learned that it was negative.
Emily: I don't want you guys to watch that. It's scary!
Alex: But we really want to.
Edison, in a very condescending voice: Too scary, buddy.

They asked to be locked in Rozzi's kennel. Crazy kids.

I have a lot of pictures of the boys in their carseats. It must be because they are contained so it isn't just a blur.

If Edison gets hurt and we ask him where it hurts, he points at the place or the person who hurt him, instead of pointing to his body.

Declan is noticeably missing in these pictures since he already gets his own post each month. But what would we do without Declan baby?!

Alex got to hold a turtle. I think the turtle was glad when we left.

Sam got elbowed at church basketball. Edison took a dive over the front of his little dump truck while running downhill.

I was feeling very nostalgic. Tapping and violin. Part of my pre-mommy life.

We were missing a ton of toys. We couldn't figure out how they were all disappearing. Then I found them hidden in my closet. I forgot that "the Gunny monster" had confiscated them one night.

We finally got grass at our complex. We waited for this day for months.

We went to learn about the hockey league. I am undecided on registering Alex and Edison. We'll see what happens.

The Relief Society presidency meets at our house and by the end of the meeting the kids are going crazy and I turn on a movie.

We are quickly running out of warm days. We squeeze in walks whenever we can.

At the end of our walk a few weeks ago, Alex had run way ahead. Then I thought I saw him pulling down his pants. Yep. That's my kid.

Alex says the most absurd things sometimes.

Sam works all day. He is very busy and fires people fairly regularly.
Sam: I had to fire someone today.
Alex: Why do you try to fire everyone's dad?!

Alex: Wow, Mom. You have a really huge bum.

Alex: Mom, if you get dirty we'll have to take you to the carwash to wash you. It will be funny. Hahaha."

Alex: You're 10.
Emily: I'm 24.
Alex: No way! You can't be that old!

Alex: Mom, every time you get close to me that makes me just want to lick you.
Sam: I have that same problem.

"Dad, you just keep being so mean and giving me my toys."

Alex, holding Declan's foot up to his ear: Yeah, hello? I have a baby foot phone. I really do. I have a passenger card. Okay, have a good day. Bye.

Alex has started saying, "Aye aye, captain" when I ask him to do something. I approve.

Alex begs me to roll down the car windows so he can catcall people. "Mom, roll down the window so I can say, 'Ow ow!' to someone!"