How to Eat a Turkey Leg

Giving Thanks

Just so everyone knows what Aden is thankful for....

Getting Ready for Halloween

Wave Runners

We all got away for a fun weekend at South Padre Island to hit the waves and get some rays. Oma and Eden joined us for a mini vacay. Friday they boys and Alex met up with Eden and Oma at the airport and all flew in to meet mommy. We played in the waves and pool until our fingers were prunes. Then we went out for seafood and back to our hotel for a sleep over. This was our first experience in a hotel and we really enjoyed operating the elevator and going between the two rooms. Aden felt so at home that he streaked down the hallway at one point toward the elevator with mommy chasing frantically behind.
On Saturday we "chartered a small boat" for a private dolphin watching excursion. They were almost close enough to reach out and touch.  It was an experience I think the pictures and video tell best. In between watching dolphins we hunted hermit crabs and took a tour to see some bridges; we went under one that was sow low that Aden and Aron got to touch the underside.  Sunday we met up with some huge sea turtles who we fed lettuce and played with some star fish.  Then it was back to the airport and a quick plane ride home. It was a fun weekend, but Aron was disappointed we didn't get to see any whales or sharks make blood; that'll have to be next vacation I guess...

Rooting for Daddy's Team

The boys had fun hanging out with the guys and cheering on the Aggies.  We won 58-10 over Arkansas, making the boys our official lucky charms.

And on his farm he had a...

We did our first family vacation and spent the week on the family farm out in Pennsylvania. The boys took their first plane ride which they did great considering the 2 1/2 hour ride. At the farm we met up with our cousins who showed us around and were great playmates while we were there. The farm was full of animal life from cows to turkeys to deer. We spent a lot of time exploring the farm and its equipment. The boys were treated to a ride on a tractor almost everyday and we got to get up close to the cows. We also learned to fish and both boys caught and reeled their own fish. As a family fun day we went to an amusement park. There the boys road race cars, boats, flying dragons, trains, Ferris wheel and motorcycles. It was a jamb packed week of fun.

From the Wenda parenting handbook: How to teach your kids to slip'n slide

I knew it was too quiet.

4:30pm and I have managed to watch two movies uninterrupted on my day off. I think to myself how unusual? I go up to the boy's room to wake up Aron. As I approach the door I noticed the door knob is greasy and I have to grab a towel to open it. Bizarre? I open the door to find my angelic child reading to himself quietly. After a brief conversation about enjoying quiet time by our self we decided to wake up Aden who was sleeping in our bed. The door was closed but strangely that knob too was greasy. I open the door to find the stack of blankets untouched by a sleeping child; to my left an entire tube of petroleum jelly spread all over the chaise, to my right my make-up drawer open.
As I approach my bathroom the scent of Lysol and hair spray make it to my nose. I turn the corner to see my makeup drawer empty. Small fingerprints of lipstick and rouge speckle the counter top, and then I see him. Aden sitting in a pool of lipstick, moisturizer cream, foundation, lip gloss, face wash, hand soap and hairspray- naked. As I assess the damage trying not to laugh, I see that he had painted the floor and all the luggage using my makeup and tooth brush, but that was only the start. The further into the closet I see that he had unloaded an entire bottle of Lysol onto a pile of all my shoes.
As Aden and I scrubbed all the lipstick out of the carpet I asked him why he did this to mommy's shoes. He said and I quote, "They were dirty, and smelled so I washed them." Why did you take out all of mommy's makeup? "I painted".
So for the next fifteen years please address all birthday and Christmas cards to Aden c/o Time Out Room.

We are nearing the summer time and this weekend we partook in our annual tradition of blueberry picking. The boys did great this year by spotting the blues and putting them in their bucket. It was a good crop with all the recent rain and as usual we ate as many as we picked.
This month the boys have been busy. Last weekend we went to visit our cousins in Austin. We played in their pool and took home a score of passed down toys. Their new favorite toy is the Fireball which is a multi-car race track that shoots the cars on a spherical track. We also brought home a Casio piano which Aden immediately figured out the fart sound setting which he thinks is hilarious.
In school the boys are learning numbers and letters. They can count to 20 and name all the letters in the alphabet. Aron enjoys coloring and Aden painting. They both are fascinating to watch as they play and give us a glimpse into their imagination.
With the weather so nice we have spent a lot of time outside harassing all the creatures in the yard. They love Rollipolies, lizards and frogs. Aden has the hose out almost everyday and Aron enjoys riding his tractor through mommy's flowerbeds.

Easter Action

The Easter bunny came this morning and the kids had a blast finding eggs and opening them for the surprises inside.  Lots of excitement and squealing.

Dried Fruit Nasal Extraction

Mommy is drinking the tall latte this morning after a late night in the emergency room. As what we can only guess was a last ditch effort to not to go to bed Aden found a raisin and shoved it up his nose. At the ER I could overhear all the nurses laughing about who would get to pull the raisin out. Fortunately the extraction was uneventful; Aden was a champ. After the visit Aden felt he deserved a lollipop for being so brave so I shamelessly took him to the drug store at 11:00pm, barefoot, to buy candy. Knowing this was not looking good for my parent of the year nomination I profusely explained myself to the cashier, customers, drunk guy buying beer and anyone else wondering why I had my child buying candy near midnight.

No Diapers Required

The big news for February is that both boys are finally potty trained. Aden decided to make the final effort to achieve his new year's resolution of no diapers at school. After all the tricks in the book of offering treats, putting colorful objects to pee on, and pants-free weekends what finally worked was he would go if could stand like this...naked.

We are so proud of him and plan to celebrate by daddy and mommy going out to share a costly bottle of wine equal to a week's worth of diapers. 

Both boys are making strides in their speech. They are talking in complex sentences, singing full songs and my favorite asking "why?" 500 times a day. Good thing for Wiki to help me with all these questions. Earlier this month we took the boys for their 3 year check-up. The doctor noticed Aron's adenoids were over sized which could be the cause of his apnea and may have to come out. Aden struggled with ear infections this last winter and she noticed he had residual fluid in his ear that could be affecting his speech, so both boys are going to see and ear, nose and throat doctor later this month for evaluation. 

Also this month we are gearing up for Rodeo. I took Aron to get a new pair of boots (Aden is a tennis shoe guy). As soon as he walked into the boot store he threw up his hands and started screeching at all the shoes. He was in boot heaven; if only his closet looked like that. I let him loose and he tried on pair after pair. Once he picked out a sharp pair of black boots we went to get him a belt. He selected the one with the largest buckle which had a cow on it. Then I told him he needed a hat. We went to try on cowboy hats and he adamantly told me, "No mommy, those are lady's hats." So we didn't get one but that didn't stop Aron from feeling good. He walked out of that store with a cowboy strut, winking at all the ladies. He looked good!

Non-flammable? Challenge accepted.

Yet another eventful Christmas and New Year. This year the boys grasped the concept of Santa Clause. They understood that he brought presents and that he had reindeer. On Christmas morning Aden came down the stairs first to see his new tractor and identified Santa has having come to see him. Both boys enjoyed unwrapping presents and playing with their new score. Vehicle toys were the big hit this year. Santa brought them a riding tractor and scooters. While dump trucks and train sets were also welcomed with enthusiasm. Aden has taken to driving the tractor around. He can maneuver in reverse and tackle obstacles. He has run the battery out twice driving it up and down the street showing it off to his friends. Aron is a whiz at the scooter and has equally spent time outside riding down the street. He has gone down steep driveways and learned to use the brake. For New Years our street had a block party with fireworks. They spent most of three hours driving around with the other kids and then kicked off the illegal fireworks with sparklers and pops. It was their first exposure to firecrackers and they did great being responsible in participating. Unfortunately they didn't make it to midnight for the grand finally but chose to go to bed early in preparation for their birthday. The next morning they woke up eager and ready head to the doughnut shop for their free birthday doughnut. On the way there I was talking to them about turning 3. Aron proceeded to tell me he was already feeling old and Aden was in denial yelling at me, "No, Mommy I am two!" We are starting to accept our new age and excited about bringing cupcakes to school tomorrow. I let Aden pick out what type of cake he wanted to bring and he naturally selected chocolate with chocolate icing and yummies (M&M's). The teachers should be appreciative.