The bonk beds

Upon request, we have some pics of the boys room...freshly painted with the new "Bonk Beds" as Gav refers to them. Since finding out WE ARE HAVING A GIRL...oh my goodness...I think there will be a little bit of redecorating over the crib. Good thing Shawn and I are too lazy, um, I mean busy, to have put any of the stuff back up on the walls!

Bray showing off his bunkBray's first night...he seems so small!
Showing mom how he goes night night.
He tries to help make the bed...showing me his new pillow
The crib & the khaki side of the room
The view from the door...a tad crowded...why yes!
Gavin, in his oh so Gavin "everything in it's place way" (where he gets this, I have no idea) places all his favorite things right up on his bed. Very tidy, very precise. The kid is a crack up. I especially like the toilet paper roll with the orange Easter egg in it. Now that's a keeper.

Bird Update

The bird is still around. We are on day five. Each morning at 5am he begins head butting our windows. I have posted some google images of Owls on the back windows. I think it's working.
I am now risking my neighbor's judgement and printing out many owl pictures to cover the rest of the three windows and the sliding glass door, which have taken quite a beating. I will have some serious beak mark cleaning to do, by the time the bird dies or gives up.
Frankly, I am still not entirely sure why the bird is not dead. I think if it continues to wake us up at 5am it may be by this weekend. Shawn is NOT happy (and he doesn't even hear it during the rest of the day).
I am moving from "Silly bird", to "Stupid bird". I guess I can't blame him. I am pretty sure brain damage is now officially involved.

April's Greatest

Daddy & Bray...the birthday boys!Brayden who loves to dress up, totally unhappy with his new super cool policeman outfit.

Bray, Gav, & Maryn with armchair covers on their head...we thought it was funny!

Bray on his big boy bike!

Not too happy about the party hat!

Really happy with the garbage truck and garbage truck video we got him!

Happy birthday boys!

Gavin at his soccer game!

Easter egg dying

Gavin loves Easter Eggs!

Silly bird

Today has been interrupted frequently by a banging noise coming from the far end of the house. At first, I thought someone was knocking on my window. Then, I was concerned someone was trying to break in. Then I braved pulling back the window drape to see a brown bird fly at me and smash itself into the window. I jumped back, taken off guard and then started laughing a bit. Silly bird.
I figured, the bird would figure it out sooner or later. But to no avail, this little guy must have smashed himself into the back windows over 200 times. He started at about 7 and was still going around 3:30. He did try different windows and even resorted to the sliding glass door a few times (until he saw Brayden who was fascinated and would slam himself into the door to get a better look). But in the end...the bird did not make it in.
I was thinking how stubborn this bird was...trying the same thing over and over. I had to laugh a bit, seeing as today was a super stubborn day with Brayden, trying the same thing, over and over. And a stubborn day with mommy, who tried to discipline the same way over and over. None of us were getting anywhere and with all the head butting, I am pretty sure we all had headaches (I cannot attest to the bird and Brayden, but I did).
Finally, the rain came and the bird gave up. Brayden has not given up and neither have I. But I did at least resolve to find some new tactics.
Thank you little bird. I will let you know if your lesson was any good.

Leavenworth

So it was awhile ago, but over spring break we went up to Leavenworth for one night. Just a little family time away. It was a sweet time with the boys and we enjoyed ourselves. I finally uploaded some pictures!

Gavin at the resteraunt...happy to be out of the car!

Brayden and Gav got to pick out one toy...this was their pick. Thomas pez dispensers. Awesome, cuz I don't think the Bartell's a mile from our house has one of those...however, as you can tell from the face...SO HAPPY!

The pool was definately a hightlight for both kids!

The fish hatcheries were a suprising hit and Gav and Bray flirted enough with one lady worker to get some fish food to feed the fish...onlookers were jealous.

bedtime.

Gav loved stopping in the snow on the way up...on the way down Shawn stopped and Gavin got very upset when Shawn threw a snowball at his feet. "Dad, I get to throw them at you! You do not throw them back. No dad!" We had to inform him that wasn't how it worked. It didn't go over well.

A beautiful phenomenon

So...yesterday, after the boys "roomtime" (this is the 30-40 minutes they have alone each morning...yesterday, Brayden was in his room and Gavin at the kitchen table with a project), Gavin went to let Brayden out of their room. I sat on the couch with my book, thinking they would come out and play for the next hour before we left for a friends house. My only goal was to finish the last three pages of the chapter in that hour. It seemed possible. So I began.
Five minutes went by and I only heard the boys chattering together. Ten more minutes passed and I heard more toys escaping from the toy box. Fifteen more minutes passed and I could hear Gavin teaching Brayden about Thomas trains and Brayden reading stories on his bed. In total, the boys must have played together in their room for about an hour. Amazing!
Multiple times, I thought of getting up to do something productive or to check on them, but I realized that would probably break the happy aura that surrounded the room. Their seems to be some sort of phenomenon that happens when I attempt productivity: productivity for mom = fighting and grumpiness for small children. Who was I to mess with the beauty God had provided?
And so I sat, on the couch, reading for an hour. Praise be to God. He knew I needed it and it was like a little piece of heaven! The boys are in roomtime now and we'll see what transpires when it's over. I have no delusions that we can repeat the glorious cooperation of yesterday, but boy wouldn't it be nice! At least I can say we are headed in the right direction! Go team!!

A time to laugh

Between sicknesses (from Gavin's asthma and random fevers spiking to 103.9, to Brayden's sinus infection and his mysterious case of pooping pure liquid over 30 times in one day) Birthdays (Shawn's, shawn's mom and brother, Brayden's, my neice maryn and my mom's) and life, we have been quite occupied. Not much time to catch up and journal about life, liberty and the pursuit of sanity (:
To be honest, there isn't a whole lot new going on. Gavin is still loving his soccer games. He is not all that fabulous at the sport, but his desire to play and smile of joy make up for it. Gav is definitely starting to grow up. We can expect more cooperation and logic from him, but along with that there is more negotiation and frustration when he fails to seal the deal. (Whining has reached a whole new level).
Bray is, well Bray. He is active, on the go and is loving the sunshine and outdoors. He would do the "lawn" any day with his plastic lawn mower and blowing/eating bubbles never seems to get old for him. He acquired a bike for his birthday, so we now take bike trips down the street and back, his little legs propelling him like Fred Flinstone, because they aren't even close to reaching the wheels.
I am nearly 19 weeks into this pregnancy and tired enough to prove it. I look at my boys getting more and more self sufficient and think, "What was going through my head...we are starting all over?" But then I see their big boy moves and think, "At least all my babies aren't grown up...one more!"
I must say, with the business of dr. appointments and birthdays, I feel like we missed a month of life and somewhere in there, we turned a corner. The boys are older. Not necessarily wiser Today I found Brayden trying to stick his hand in a light socket...why he thinks this is clever, I am not sure. Yesterday, I found Gavin trying to pee standing up and found a majority of the pee floating around the outside of the toilet all over the ground...about a gallon of it, I'd say.
But they can get their gear ready to go by themselves. They can set their own places for dinner and say grace. They can play together for approximately 5 minutes without someone falling apart. And they can go outside all by themselves while mommy works on dinner. It's huge.
I am relishing these days. They are good days, with sweet boys.
So I am taking a moment to breathe in recognize that I am enjoying parenting. We are healthy and happy and it has been sunny three days straight! It's a seasonal thing and I am sure the season will change soon enough. But for now...it is a time to laugh and I am so grateful!

Our very own Curious George

Sometimes, I feel like having Brayden as a part of the family is like living with Curious George. I am often exasperated and Gavin likes to question, "Mom, is he being naughty?"
Most the time, I can't decide if he is naughty or just interested in everything. Although, he does get a defiant look when he really wants to press your buttons....Anyway...
Easter Sunday, Gavin had been sick, so Shawn stayed home with the kids. I had promised to help set up at church at 7 am. I called to check in about eight to see how it was going.
"You aren't going to believe it."
"What did he do."
"Brayden took off his sleeper, took off his diaper and smeared poop all over the pack and play, himself, and the blankets. I think he ate some. I have to go. He's in the tub and I'm trying to get it cleaned up."
My first thought, what a mess. Second thought, I am so glad he saved some of his creativity for his dad.
So, I left them to it and went into service and called to check on dad during my ride home.
"How's it going."
"You're not going to be happy."
"What did he do."
"Well, I got him cleaned up and in his Easter outfit and then set him and Gavin up to watch a show, so I could take a quick shower. He found a tub of vaseline, smeared it all over the floor in our room, laid down in it and began to smear it all over himself head to toe. I have a whole new respect for you."
"I'm sooo sorry Shawn."
"I have to go, I am trying to get it off in the tub...vaseline is hard to remove."
My first thought, darn it...the Easter outfits were cute and matching. Second thought, at least now Shawn will understand why sometimes when he gets home, I'm just done.
We love Brayden. I get a kick out of his love of life, curiosity and creativity. But man alive, that kid can wear you down! He is so busy. Shawn and I have already started praying that this can all be channeled into good works...I know he can be something great! He really does have a spunk that could change lives.
The real bummer in all of this, aside from the completely ruined Easter outfit, Shawn never got any pictures. He was to afraid to leave him alone any longer with the poop or vaseline, for fear of what might occur. I can appreciate this, the kid is quick. But man, it would have made for some quality kodak.

He is Risen

Just a small blog to honor our Lord and Savior...

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

It strikes me as odd sometimes, that Christmas seems to be a bigger deal than Easter. It's great God sent his Son and I recognize celebrating His birth is worthy. But if Christ didn't die for our sins, and conquer death by rising from the grave, His birth would have meant nothing.
HE ROSE FROM THE GAVE!!! People are born every day...but no one has conquered death and taken on the sin of the world!!! Today's the day!!!
And so today, we celebrate Christ loving us enough to die for our sin, conquering death, and giving us new life.
2 Cor 5:17 In Christ we are a new creation...the old has gone and the new has come!"

Amen and Amen. Thank you for making me new and redeeming me from myself daily! I love you!