Picnic, trails and a park

Gorgeous day yesterday so we loaded up in the car with some food and drove to a nearby County Preservation area. We had a picnic in the grass, then we walked a mile and a half through a wooded trail, saw chipmunks, a snake, and a while-tailed deer. Davey and I raced each other about half the time. I let him win a few times :) Momma ain't what she used to be as a runner but for now at least I can outrun my son...another year or so and I won't be able to keep up with him. So much energy! He could power a small metro area with the amount of energy inside of him. Blows my mind. He's nonstop. And silly! He likes to find humor in most everything. He made Dave and me crack up with his funny ideas and one-liners. After we looped the trail, we went back to the car, got the stroller and walked another mile to one of Davey's favorite parks. Then Dave and Davey flew a kite while Oak and I sat in the grass and watched. After the park, we walked back to the car and drove home. The boys slept great all night. My Superman hubby got just 2 hrs of sleep before he had to wake up at 2am for work. Before bed, he helped Davey shower, read books to him and got him to sleep, then he watched the Blackhawks in game 6 of the playoffs. Exhausting! Must be where Davey gets all his energy from.

Mom's Day with my guys

I'm a couple weeks late posting this...better late than never. Dave and the boys took me to a beautiful brunch on Mother's Day at a nearby golf course. So beautiful. The food spread was delicious! I've already staked my claim to return here for Mom's Day next year, assuming I'm a good mom and deserving of course :) Yes, the blue bird had to sit on the table and drink milk.

Happy 9 Months OAK

Our little Oakley is turning into a funny, big personality baby. He squeals and babbles when he's happy. He has the temper of Diana Ross. He wants to be where ever big brother is, see whatever big brother is doing, and have whatever big brother has. He is now pulling himself up to standing, inchworming to get places, and feeds himself finger foods. He has three teeth, two center bottom and one left lateral incisor (kinda weird?). He is a celebrity where ever he goes. He attracts people's stares, smiles, laughter, delight, and long conversations about his hair and their kids' hair comparatively. He is starting to wave. He sucks his toes.

First time pulling up in crib!

Lookie Lookie, someone pulled himself up to standing in his crib for the first time. Dave walked into Oak's room to say bye before leaving for work and he was surprised to find Oak like this. Here comes trouble 👶👶😊😊

"All by myself"

So Davey is growing up. It's happening faster than I can believe and it makes me equal parts sad and overjoyed. Today we went to Sunbury library and he had to pee while we were there, naturally. So I walk with him into the restroom and he adamantly tells me, "I'll do it all by myself Mommy. I can do it." I shrug that off. haha please child, I think... you can't possible pee without MY help. I disagree openly and say, "Buddy just leave the stall door open so I can help." He sternly says, "No Mommy I can do it all by myself." No hesitation or timidness at all, just get the heck out of my way lady, I got this. I was so proud but confused. He doesn't need me to lift the seat? Doesn't need me to lock the door? Doesn't need me to pull up his underpants? Flush the toilet? Unlock the door? Kid, c'mon you need me for something! He didn't. I stood outside the stall door with a skeptical and amused look on my face and felt proud and kinda awkward. For the first time in his life, Davey didn't need my help in a public restroom. Wow. And he did great. And he pulled up his pants and he flushed the toilet and he unlocked the door and he walked to the soap. I said 'Here let me help you with the soap." He said emphatically, "No I can do it by myself Mommy." And he did that too. I stood there amazed and proud of my son's ability to do all these things for himself, by himself. For almost four years public restrooms have been a battle and a frustration (where's the changing table? this changing table is disgusting! poop up his back. poop up his front. I'm out of diapers or out of wipes. yep I'm changing my three-year-old's diaper, no he's not potty trained, stop staring and mind your business. the toilet is too high for him. the sink is too high for him. the stall is too small for both of us. he's touching everything, now his hands are in his mouth. the list goes on...) Standing there doing nothing felt like I had graduated from something. It was a little freedom for me and it was a little freedom for him and it tugged at my heart alot.

Memorial Weekend

We had a backyard bbq on Sunday with our friends and neighbors, and had a great time. Davey's best buds were here: Graham (3 yrs), Michael (2 yrs), and Bennett (2 yrs). Davey had a Blast with them. Then on Monday we walked from our house to Sunbury Square where they had the Memorial Day Flea Market. Dave and I walked, the boys rode in their fancy wagon. Then we stopped at the Heroes Memorial. It's a tribute to the Ohio military who've died in the war on terror. Dave explained to Davey what it means, and then we walked through the crosses and saw the coins, pictures, flowers and messages left by loved ones. Afterward, we stopped for cold custard, and sat in the shade. Then we took the long way home so Davey could play at a park.

It was a perfect Memorial Day. So fun and equally exhausting.

At the Ballpark!

We took the boys to watch the Columbus Clippers play... they're the minor league baseball team. The ballpark is terrific. It feels like a major league stadium because it's so beautiful and well cared for but it's not too huge and  tickets are affordable. Davey really enjoys going... he loves jumping in the bounce house and every time we go he gets a game ball! A player usually tosses one to him but this time it was one of the nice ushers who brought one down to give him. And it was Oakley's first game, and he was really good. It helped that we had two bottles, pacifiers, snacks, and his favorite blanket. They all played a role in keeping him happy during those four hours!

On the move!

Oakley is moving! He is now our inchworm. He gets up on all fours (hands and knees), rocks a few times, give a good push and falls on his tummy, then does it again til he inches to what he wants. He's pretty excited about the new skill. I'll post a video soon.

Don Oakleone

He has an offer you can't refuse.

It involves a stinky diaper.

High chair ick

Ugh I forgot how gross high chairs get. I use to Hate cleaning this chair when Davey was a baby. This honestly isn't too bad. When Oak gets older and tries a spoon, liquidity goop gets all over and in the grooves and it hardens like concrete. It's gross. That guy Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs should try cleaning a high chair after one of my boys has used it.

Share is a four letter word

Baby bro wants some of Davey's crackers and he isn't shy about trying to get them...

Poop and pee everywhere

That's an exaggeration. There wasn't poop or pee everywhere it just felt like it because I was cleaning for a while. How is it that these things coincide with each other? Davey woke up from his nap and accidentally peed during his sleep so his clothes, sheets, pillows and blanket had pee on them. At the same time I discovered this, Oakley had gobs of poop smooshed up the back of his diaper into his shirt and all over his back. I wish I knew about the poop issue before I laid him on the changing table and lifted his shirt because the poop smooshed and spread further up his back and all over the changing pad, which was bare, it didn't have a cover on it and it crossed my mind to throw it away so I wouldn't have to clean it. It's now stained brown and I ripped a hole in it trying to scrub the poop stain off. But I didn't get mad or flustered to the boys, it was gross and sort of a pain to clean, but I was calm and hugged Davey and said it was ok accidents happen.

Memorial Weekend decorations

We're having our friends over this weekend for a Memorial Weekend backyard BBQ. Davey is helping me get ready for it. He's contributing homemade decorations. This mantel one is our favorite.

yep, the darnedest things

So Davey has asked questions in the past year about Heaven and death. It's not often but very occasionally he will ask why do people die or why can't we visit Heaven. It's very endearing because he seems to care about the answers. He mulls them over and sits on them for a while, and usually comes back with a very logical follow-up question. Like when he asked why we go to Heaven... I answered encouragingly that we're all made by God and when our time is up here then we return to God. I also explained that Heaven is beautiful and happy. So he asked "why don't we visit Heaven like how we visit the grocery store?" I told him when we get to Heaven it's so wonderful we want to stay there and be with God and people we love, so we don't come back. He thought about it. Then he looked at me and said, "I will miss you when you're in Heaven." (so sweet!) I replied that would be a loooooooooooong time from now... to which he replied, "No, you're going to Heaven soon." (not sweet... creepy!) I wanted to bark back with 'what the hell you talking about, child?' Obviously didn't though. I just took a deep breath and said 'no Davey, mommy will be here for years years and years to take care of you and help you with your homework and see you graduate and see you grow up and see you have babies and see you grow old." I was only halfway talking to him. I was also talking to God. If God or the universe planned on taking me soon, they're in for a fight. So fast forward to today. We're at the store and out of nowhere, literally we were laughing about something a minute earlier, Davey says "God is taking you soon, Mommy." Again with the mommy dying talk? I froze. It creeped me out and scared the logic right out of me. I was wondering if he was channeling some clairvoyance skill and sending me a direct message to prepare me. I calmly said, 'buddy, that's not true. I'm not going anywhere. Mommy is here for you Forever" I repeated the word 'forever' like nine times. Again, talking more to God than to my son. I picked up Davey and looked right in his face and said carefully that God chose me to take care of him. God chose me to tie his shoes and drive him to the library and wash his hair and make cottage cheese breakfasts. God chose ME to protect him and make him laugh and help him become a man, and then I faked a big smile and hugged him. Needless to say, I was shaken by his statement. My common sense is telling me he is just being a three-year old who's still processing something mysterious and frightful--death. It's a scary concept to adults, let alone a child. I'm not sure the best way to explain death and Heaven other than what I've already said. Davey says it so matter-of-factly and moves on. Two seconds after he said it he was pretending to be a flying airplane making zooming sounds. So his 'prediction' is.. whatever it is. I don't understand where it came from and why but I have to let it go and trust God. So I am.

What a resemblance

Just checked this book out at the library. I think those are our sons on the cover.

He'd rather have dirty car

Davey does not enjoy riding through a car wash...not a little bit, not at all. He screamed and sat like this the entire time. My poor son.