Who's Who??

My kids, at this point, only somewhat resemble each other. Ethan has an olive complexion, deep dark eyes, wavy brown hair complete with a widow's peak (which he hates and at some point has attempted to cut it off), and looks a lot like me. Caden, on the other hand, is blonde, light brown eyes, chubby cheeks, and resembles his dad in so many ways.
****Sidenote- I actually had a woman, who was cutting Caden's hair at the time, ask me if he and Ethan had the same dad. I just answered with a short, "Yes." But really what I wanted to do is pick my mouth up off of the floor and ask, "Did you really just ask me that?" It's kinda funny now but at the time, I thought it was pretty danged brazen of her to even ask.****
They didn't start out this way though. I look back at pictures and I honestly, at times, have to look at the date they were taken to decipher who exactly I'm looking at. Go ahead, judge me in your head...I'll wait.
So, my question is, look at the following. Can you tell who is who?

“A little boy is the only thing God can use to make a man.”

"A boy is trust with dirt on its face, beauty with a cut on its finger, wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and the hope of the future with a frog in its pocket."

The time has come...

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

The time did come to set Caden up in a "big boy" bed. He is potty trained and we felt that not only was he ready to sleep in toddler bed, but he needs the freedom to get up to use the potty in the middle of the night if necessary.
Now, I know most people would ask why we chose a toddler bed instead of a twin/full-sized or even wonder why we didn't just convert his baby bed. I think the general was for him to feel like his tiny bed was his and his alone. He is able to get in and out of it as he needs/wants to. *This is also my Achilles' Heel* Aside from the fact that we arent sure that his room will become an office or guest room. It just made more sense for us to go this way.
Ok, and the other thing I compromised on was his make-shift bedding. Ugh. I despise cartoon characters as bedding or room decor. It's something I always said we wouldn't do. HOWEVER, if you know my kid, you know about his obsession with Go Diego, Go! I agreed, for the toddler bedding only, that he could have the sheet set and blanket. (The blanket is actually a nap blanket I got at the Aspasians Craft Fair here in Rockwall--so stinkin' cute and it's handmade)-I caved a little. Anyway, he's done really well with becoming familiar with his bedtime routine and is able to execute most of it on his own. This is a verrrry good thing. It's a little bittersweet because it's now been confirmed, right before my eyes, that he's not a baby anymore.

From left to right: Diego, Caden, Puppy, and Baby Alice

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice-Cream-in-adorable-Texas-Rangers-plastic-helmets

Man vs. Wild

We've already established that Ethan is our science/biology enthusiast. His speciality now? Bugs, geckos, frogs, etc. Basically, anything that mom will find gross, he loves. The other day we went to Brian's parents house. We're getting out of the car and Ethan looks down into a patch of thick St. Augustine grass and says, "Hey, it's a tiny frog!"- Ok, two things: HOW did he see that? and Why didn't I? So after exploring the backyard for a little while, he comes to the door and asks me to come take a look at what he's found. Yeah, it was the tiniest frog I have ever seen. He told me that he was under the assumption it was a cricket until he looked down at the grass and noticed the creature had four legs. Again, HOW does he see this stuff?

Anytime we are out and about, that kid is forever digging in flowerbeds and grassy areas looking for a specimen. It is crazy.
In fact, just last night, as I was coming inside from working out and grocery shopping, I heard him scream, "Awww coooool!" and as he walks over to me, I see he has something in his hand. Yeah, he caught a baby gecko. The best part? The look of sheer joy on his face. (ew.) He walks over to show his little brother, and Caden lets out this giggly scream. Anything Ethan picks up, he wants to show Caden. And because Caden is his brother's shadow, he is completely involved and finds it all humorous.

Brian and I agree that Ethan could be into worse things. The way his mind works boggles my own though. He isn't really interested in cartoons. Man vs. Wild; Survivorman; Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe; Life; and the like are more his style. He's so smart, sweet, precious, and definitely all boy. I hope he maintains his love for science and I can honestly say I hope he continues to wonder, seek answers, and always ask why.

I Love Children's Literature!

There are so many reasons to love the children's sections of the bookstores and libraries. The illustrations and the vivid imagery the really great authors provide kids, amazes me as an adult. To be honest, I partially became a teacher because of my love for literature. I enjoy evoking the appreciation and love for a good story more than anything. I love that I can pass that on to our boys. Brian has been a huge supporter of this, as well. The few things we rarely tell the boys no on are books. If they find a book they want, it's purchased or checked out for them. Rockwall has a big beautiful new library with a great children's section and we have had a blast digging through and finding a good read or six. ;) Here are a few the boys and I have enjoyed reading together so far this summer.


I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert by Jan Bunting
This is the most deliciously haunting and beautifully written book. Ever. This is my absolute FAVORITE right now. Ethan loved it!



Caden and I have been collecting the Gossie collection by Olivier Dunrea. There's something super-entertaining about a tiny goose named Gossie and her awesome red boots. :)


The boys and I love this book! LOVE IT! With Cade entering his picky-eater phase, this book was perfect. I actually picked it up at our school book fair (I love me some book fair!!) and am so glad I did!
Luck of the Lochness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating by: Alice Weaver Flahtery


Knuffle Bunny by: Mo Willems
Such a sweet book.


Diary of a Worm by: Doreen Cronin
Because it's hilarious is what it is.


Flotsam by: David Wiesner
The imagery is beautiful and it's fun to hear the boys discuss each picture in detail.


I have a TON more I could list. We love the classic stuff too, don't get me wrong. Shel Silverstein, Kevin Henkes, Ian Falconer, Lauren Child, Marc Brown, Eric Carle, Bill Martin Jr. etc. all have a special place with us. I love reading to the boys and watching how engrossed they are in the stories themselves. It really makes my heart sing to see how their love and appreciation for books, reading, and beautiful illustrations has grown and continues to grow.





***By the by, if you have small kids or teach, go to www.bemboszoo.com
it is utterly amazing to look at how the names of the animals make pictures. Def. one of my favorite sites.***

Road Trip!

Getting ready for a dip in the pool!

"Hey momma! I swin-swinnin'!"

Waiting in line is boring.

Ready for the movie to start!

Getting sleepy.

He finds all kinds of bugs and things in their natural habitats wherever we go. He's my scientist.

Listening to directions...I apparently am not.




We decided to take the boys on a small trip last weekend. We ended up in Glen Rose/Granbury to take in some sights. The kicker? We played Russian Roulette with Caden's potty training. We didn't take any diapers or Pull-Ups and kept him in his underwear the whole time. And ya know what? He did fabulously. No accidents. He's actually been great with the whole potty training thing. I think it's safe to assume he is fully potty trained at 2.5 years old. Although, we did have to make a stop on the side of the road for him. But, he told us he needed to go and held it until we were able to stop. Yay!
When we arrived, we took the boys swimming in the hotel pool. It was great, slightly chilly, but refreshing. It was a saltwater pool. Apparently it's the new thing to do with pools to eliminate so much chlorine and other chemicals. It was ok but, as a friend put it, it kinda felt like swimming in sweat. Ew. It didn't wreck my hair or the boys' skin so I was okay with it. The monsters refused to get out of the pool so that was kind of a struggle.
Later that evening, we took the boys to the drive-in in Granbury to see Toy Story 3. Up side? Drive-in movies are awesome if you have kids. Downside? Drive-in movies suck if you have kids. haha! Ok, so the cool part is the boys loved being able to sack out in the back of the SUV and watch the movie "outside". The downside is, you obviously have to wait until it gets dark to see anything. Welp, it doesn't get dark in the summer until about 9 p.m. Um, yeah. That's their bedtime. So, because it started so late, the boys were pretty whipped despite their late afternoon nap.
We all enjoyed the actual movie and as we were packing up to go home, the guy next to us (whose family was so sweet) told us he was really surprised that he didn't hear a peep out of our boys during the whole evening and how impressed he was with their behavior seeing how they're so young. And, just as he's complimenting me on my kids' behavior...*Cue Caden starting an uncontrollable wail*---Yeah, it was kinda embarrassing. We made it back to the hotel about 11:30 and ready to get to bed.
The next day, we woke up at 5:30 A.M.(!) to make it to Fossil Rim for the guided tour. This did not seem like a good idea at the time. We were all walking zombies. But, as soon as we loaded into the vehicles, I was okay with the early wake-up. We had first dibs on the animals so we would get to see them up close. We were also allowed to go on unpaved paths to get a closer look at animals like the endangered Przewalski's Horse, cheetahs, and the black rhinocerous. What I loved most about this place is their desire to nurture the dying species. They had a few endangered animals that they are protecting and attempting to get off the endangered list. I also loved that they are a not-for-profit organization and accredited members of the zoological society. The boys had a great time and had an opportunity to feed and pet the giraffes and many other animals. Caden had quite a few people laughing as we fed an ostrich. He had this giggle that had everyone laughing. Ethan, made friends with a few heavy duty bikers. So much so, they gave him some of their animal feed when he ran out. That kid can socialize and make friends with anyone.
Halfway through, Cade lost steam and zonked out. Couldn't blame him. The weather was breezy and the view of the hills, trees, and outlay of the land was very peaceful and relaxing.
We such a great time! Now, on to prepare for our "big" vacation at the end of this month. Yikes.