Beautiful Fall Weather!!!

So we have been blessed this week with gorgeous fall weather in NOLA. It seems early to me but I am not complaining. So far it looks as if its going to stick around the next 2 weeks which is also awesome. We have tried to enjoy this weather all week! We ofcourse went to the Global Wildlife on Monday.

Yesterday Colby had school...I'm sure he and his class enjoyed the weather on the playground. Austin and I also spent some time outside that morning then again that afternoon and we all took a walk as a family.. Yesterday was a nice quiet day for us and it was nice having Colby in school that morning and Austin and I got some time around the house. That rarely happens where we are home like that and he is gone.

Today Austin had to go back to work so I figured Colby and I would go visit my parent's and go to Brechtel park. Its nice because my parents live right across the street from this really nice, big park. They have a couple really fun playgrounds so we thought since the weather finally cooled off we could take Colby. I am so glad we went because Colby had a blast! He loved running up and down the hills. He also liked talking to the geese and ducks and trying to pet them! I swear my child will pet any animal haha. He also loved the playgrounds ofcourse! He climbed everything! He was such a ham! It was such a nice day we ended up staying out tehre for over an hour. I have so many memories from that park its fun to see my little boy playing there also! After the park we hung out at my parent's for a little while then came home for lunch. I didn't want to stay gone long since we have had such a busy start to the week. The rest of the day has been pretty nice except the fact its after 7 and still no sign of Austin coming home. Its hard sometimes being alone all day and him working 7 or more days straight and hardly seeing him I just wish sometimes he got home at like 5 but that's in a perfect world right! Tomorrow Colby has school so I plan on doing some more shopping!

Global Wildlife Center

Today Austin was off and his parents had plans of coming to see us. It was also the first cool day we had of the fall season. All of these things fell into place and we decided to take Colby to the Global Wildlife Center. This was his first time there. We have talked about going for over a year now with him. But honestly I am glad we waited until now. I can't imagine that trip a year ago with him. Maybe before he was mobile would have been easier but still I think 2 years old is probably the earliest you would want to take a kid. He has more of an attention span now and also knows/understands more about animals. The Center is about an hour and a half drive from our house. Luckily Colby slept for about half the trip. He was very good in the car he never fussed a bit which I was glad b/c sometimes he gets antsy in long car rides.

When we got there he was immediately excited about seeing all the animals. He was ooohing and ahhing from the car. He loved walking around the grounds and seeing the trucks, fish, animals, and kids. The weather was perfect today too! It was in the high 60s when we got there and in the 70s by the time we left. Perfect blue jean and t-shirt kinda weather! I also have to say he did great with his pottying today...no accidents with the long car ride and long tour and long ride home I was worried but he stayed dry and made 3 potty trips during the day while we were away.

The wagon/feeding part was very fun. Colby loved looking at the animals. He loved tossing food from the wagon and seeing the animals eat it. He also loved touching some of the animals which made me a little nervous but he is soo brave and loves animals it was adorable! Now all that said he did get antsy and honestly the tour could just be an hour long for his age. Today it was all kids his age they were probably 2-3 year olds mostly on the tour. I think in this case they could have made it shorter but I guess they didn't want to cheat us. I mean school age kids can handle that long ride but younger ones do not quite have the attention span. We had to pull out the goldfish, juice, and trucks before the ride was over to keep him occupied. But for a 2 year old I think he did really well. He had 1 small and 1 major meltdown. Both were over the fact he couldn't wander around the wagon while it was moving.

I am glad we went ahead and took him though I think by the time we take him back he will be really into it! I will probably wait until he's 3 though to go back when maybe he has a longer attention span and can understand a little more.

After the tour we ate lunch before we headed home. Colby was very good and then on the car ride home he sacked out again. I knew since he slept so much in the car a good nap at home for the day was probably out. He slept all the way until we got home and when we got him out the car he was not happy at all. I hoped we could lay him in his bed and atleast get an hour out of him but it never happened. It was hard since Austin's parents were here too he was too excited. We let him get up around 3:15 and play. Ofcourse he was a little ill mannered due to no good nap so he landed in timeout 2 times. I felt bad but I can't let him be bratty just b/c grandparents are in. I know some people would probably think I am too strict but I think rules need to be enforced and consistent always no matter who is over or where we are. We did have a fun afternoon though watching him play outside. Until he flipped out of the swing that was a tragedy. He also rode his tricycle around tonight since the weather was so nice. He looked so cute. He also ran into a little boy and girl from down the street riding their car toys. It was like a toddler parade so cute! We had a good dinner tonight with my parents and Austin's. We cooked white beans and rice for them. It turned out really good! I am so thankful for our families and that we were able to share a special day with them! It was really a fun day with so many good memories! We are all tired now though I hope we can catch up tomorrow! Colby has school but then we all have hopes of a good nap that afternoon!

Sunday & Saints

Today being Sunday is ofcourse one of our busiest days of the week. We had Sunday School first thing ofcourse. Today it was Colby, Broc, and Cade as usual. Mrs. Shirley my usual co-teacher is out for a month so Lisa the new helper was there. It was a little chaotic at first b/c Lisa was late and all 3 boys were there and we were trying to figure out who was going to stay with me. During all of the chaos Cade fell and hit his head pretty bad. He was ok but we decided to get his mom to let her know. I know I would have wanted to know had this happened to Colby. The boys mainly just played today I felt a little out of sorts. I had brought a new kitchen set in our room and bought some play food this week at Target. They all seemed to enjoy "cooking" for us.
Colby and I left right after Sunday School because of the Saints game at noon. Traffic is always horrible on Saints home games and I did not want to sit in traffic for an hour with a 2 year old. Plus I had a meeting this afternoon so my afternoon was already cut short.
I had things to do around the house as well because Austin's parents are coming in town tomorrow. This afternoon thanfully Colby took a good nap I was able to get an hour nap as well and I watched most of the Saints game....it was a dissapointing loss now they are 2-1 but I am just hoping they can redeem next week with the Panthers! Its always hard to see your team lose but we haven't lost a real game in so long but I guess it had to happen sooner or later!
Tonight I had a Preschool Team meeting for church. A bunch of us (mothers & teachers) have been asked to be on the team. Tonight was our first meeting so we basically brainstormed! I am excited about the upcoming events for our church and preschool. I pray we are able to reach out to the children and their families and that we are even able to draw in some visitors! Colby stayed with my parents then Austin got in to relieve them before I got in. I think he had fun with the grandparents and with his daddy. Then we just spent the evening eating dinner and watching football!

The Rest of the Week

I realized today I hadn't posted anything since Tuesday...I guess because nothing exciting has really happened its just been a routine week around here. Austin has been working a lot and I have been busy keeping Colby busy! So I will pick up on Wednesday:

Wednesday Colby and I went to the church to do some work around my two Sunday School rooms. That seems to have become our Wednesday routine. I don't mind so much though b/c it gives us something to do and Colby loves going up there and playing with the toys. There is lots for him to do while I work so it works out perfect!

Thursday was Colby's fifth day of school. It began with a HUGE meltdown in the parking lot over a truck he wanted to take in to school. I am trying to teach him he has to leave all his toys in the car. The first week he did great but this week we had meltdowns over that. And this one was really big he got soo angry and was kicking, screaming, hitting, biting, you name it and HUGE tears! I was embarrassed but I guess everyone else hopefully understands b/c I think all 2 year olds do this at some point! He finally got it together by the time he got in his class and didn't even cry when I left. I really am so happy with how much he seems to love school. His teacher seems to like him too! She says he is really one of the best ones! When I picked him up she said he did well he just didn't like having a sticker. I guess she passed out stickers today and he hates stickers. He had it on his shirt when he came out but he immediately started asking for me to take it off. He wanted to hold it haha.

Friday Colby and I went to visit my parent's. We haven't really seen them much since Colby started school. Our week is so busy we don't get over there as often. We just played and went for a walk then ate lunch. My brother also joined us for lunch which was nice. Colby always enjoys visiting with them at their house.

Today (Saturday) I was supossed to go outlet mall shopping with my friend Laura. It fell through though at the last minute though. I thought yesterday Colby might be getting sick. He felt a little warm, runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing. It could be allergies but I didn't want to chance getting Laura sick who is almost 9 months pregnant! That is that last thing she needed. And honestly as bad as I wanted to go I really feel it worked out for the best. Saturday is my grocery shopping day and I was already worried about when I would go. Plus our next few days are going to be really busy there is a chance Austin's parents may come down so I really needed the day to grocery shop and then work on getting the house in order. I enjoy Saturdays in that we don't really have to go anywhere and its a stay at home day but they are also hard from the sense Colby doesn't get to expel all his energy so he is really wound up and trashes the house on Saturdays too! I think we both need a downtime day though even though he's wild. Sundays are really busy days so it kinda gears us up for that!

Library, Funny Stuff, and School!

I have a lot to post on even though its only been 2 days! Yesterday was storytime at the library. I am going to try to make it this year to where we go almost every week. We went sporadically over the last year but I want to attend as much as we can b/c this will probably be the last year it will work with Colby's school schedule. Next year he will be in school on Mondays. I mean we will get to go during holidays and over the summer but still. I love it because every week there is a theme. This week was "The Little Red Hen" I love that story. We have the book at home and we read it often! They read the book and even had some older children act out the story. Colby loved the duck and kitty! They sang "This Little Light of Mine" which he really got into also! He was a little wilder then the previous week but he still did good for a 2 year old.

So onto the funny stories....this is mainly so I will have it recorded so I can go back and remember this fun stage of 2! I just have to say 2 year olds can be soo frustrating and tiring sometimes but other times they are just downright funny! So Colby has this thing of getting up and playing when we put him to bed. Last night I was determined to go in there everytime I heard him and put him back in bed. I tried to be firm but not mean also. His sleep habits have been crazy lately so we are trying to get him back on track and the night before he didn't fall asleep until after 10:15 and since last night was a school night I wanted him to get a full nights rest. So put him to bed and a little while later we hear this awful noise coming from his room. Sounded like he was moving furniture around. Went in and he had his lawn mower out jamming it against the door as hard as he could....pretty funny really that he was "mowing" his carpet in the dark! I put him back to bed told him not to get out again and came back in the den. A little later I hear another noise coming from his door...this time he had shoved his windmill toy under the door. So again put him back to bed. A little later hear another banging against the wall...go in and he's sitting in his rocking chair rocking back and forth as hard as he can hitting the wall with a HUGE ELMO book just sitting there rocking and reading his book! This time I could barely contain myself! I wanted to be firm and let him know this was not ok but it was soo funny I wished I had a camera! After that he didn't come out anymore and he slept all night! PRAISE GOD! He also didn't wake up until 6:45 and yes that's still early but I was already up and showered by that point since today is a school day.

Last funny story: lately he has gotton interested in hats. I guess because Austin wears them I dunno. But he puts them on backwards which I guess Austin does wear his hats like that sometimes. So this morning when we were getting ready to head out the door for school he comes back with his hat on turned backwards! So cute! He was adorable! He looked so big! But its like he was saying "ok mom I'm ready for school now"! Sadly it didn't last once we got to school but he was adorable nonetheless!

Today was his 4th day of school. I expected him to do well b/c he did so well last week never crying once. Well this morning he wanted to bring his new truck in. They aren't allowed to bring toys from home and I don't want him to anyways b/c then either another kid will try to get it which will upset Colby or it will get lost. So he got mad that he couldn't bring it in. So then he finally gets over it and we head into school. Well in the morning they keep the door locked until 9 but you can go in the gate where the playground is. Well usually Colby will just stand right next to me. Well today he headed off and climbed up on the equipment which was fine but then at 9 they opened the door. Normally he's fine going in because he knows there are cars and trucks in his classroom...well not today he pitched a big fit. He got over it mostly when we got in the room I think he got distracted by the other kids. So I walked in and tried to show him their new pet fish and the cars. Well once he figured out I was leaving he started crying again. I hope he didn't cry long and I doubt he did b/c he never really does plus I think the school would have called if he stayed upset. The teacher did show me the new bulletin board that had all the kid's pictures on it. I guess they took their picture last week and now its on the bulletin board! So cute! His picture was adorable! She even said he sat very still and they got several good ones of him!

I am soo loving this school thing! Now I am home hanging out and trying to get some things done while he is gone. Its nice to have the house to myself! I miss him but I think we need our time. I am now anxious to hear about his day!

His teacher said he did really good today and quite crying like 2 minutes after I left! I am glad he's adjusting so well! They were playing in the gym when I got there so I know he played gym today haha. So cute though to see them getting in a line and walking back to class! When he came to the gate he just laughed when he saw me!

Baby Shower and Church

Mrs. Shirley helping Colby and Broc finger paint in Sunday School

Colby and Cade checking out the toys in Sunday School

Colby's camo shorts

Wants to be just like his daddy!

Yesterday me and my home hosted a baby shower for my friend Laura. We held it at my mom's house because of space issues. Our house is just not condusive for a big gathering like that. The shower was a lot of fun! I love baby showers and also enjoyed the time away and opportunity to visit with other adults! Austin was able to keep Colby though which was nice. I think the shower turned out really nice...it was mostly church people it was nice to visit with those ladies outside of church. Most Sundays are soo hectic with teaching Sunday School and having Colby in tow I feel like I never truly get to visit with people.

Laura got lots of fun things I love watching people open baby presents! I can't believe my baby is not really a baby anymore!

So today being Sunday is ofcourse church day! It started out on a bad note in our house I know Austin and I were both just tired, grumpy. Colby hasn't been sleeping very well again so he didn't go to sleep until after 9 then was up around 1:30 then up for the day around 6 or so. So anyways I began looking for some shampoo I had stuck back and couldn't find it and basically it just ended up in a crazy argument of Austin moving it and not remembering where it went and me not putting things away! I feel awful now that that is the mood we left our house in on a Sunday morning! I know Colby could feel the tension as well. He has this one phrase or words he says when he can tell we are arguing and he kept doing it over and over. Poor guy although I know reality children have to see their parents disagree from time to time and we do try to stress to him that we still love each other. I just hate when Sunday mornings become stressful. Its so cliche for families to be fighting at home or in the car then turn on their "church" faces when they get to church and I know we are all guilty of this!

So we made it to church and I tried to keep my mind in the right frame. Today in Sunday School we were going to be finger painting so I tried to set up that station right away. Things were a little hectic today because we moved down to the 2 year old room since Colby and Broc have promoted but have no teacher. So I was running back and forth from the 1 year old room trying to get all my supplies. We also had a new teacher today that is going to be helping us. All of these changes plus our crazy morning I am not sure made Colby in a mood. Or maybe he's still working on those 2 year molars or maybe he's overtired due to not sleeping well lately. He wasn't bad just a little more out of sorts then usual! He cried like 4 times over something which is unsual for him. I think all the boys enjoyed the painting and we got them to make a cute picture of their handprints to hang in the classroom.

I prayed Colby would be better for the extended care workers which were Cade's mom and Lauren the preschool director. They all said he did well and I wasn't worried about him back there since I know them so well plus Jana our pastor's wife is always back there and I know she watches out for him! He did well at lunch after which was good but when he was done eating he was ready to go! Now thankfully we got home and he has been asleep for 2 1/2 hours. He needs the rest! Austin and I also got long naps which was nice!

We are going to enjoy the rest of the afternoon/evening as a family and relax!

Our Little Eagle

Colby's 1st football season (The top is his 6 month pictures and the bottom one is Colby on his first USM gameday! )

Colby's 2nd football season (These were both taken during the fall last year) Colby was 1

Colby's 3rd football season (Taken in the last couple of months). Colby is now 2!

Its hard to believe this is Colby's 3rd football season! I thought I would show how much he has changed throughout the seasons! We keep him outfitted in USM gear during football season!

Kitchen Renovations

These top photos are before the renovation

These are after!

So I'm sure everyone is aware that we had our kitchen redone recently. It took about a month. The work started in mid-August and just got finished yesterday! Praise God I am so happy its over! It was a long, rough road but so worth it. Our kitchen had a 60s/70s feel to it. It was one of the few rooms in the house we hadn't completely redone. We knew when we moved in it was something we wanted to do eventually.

We finally bit the bullet though and had it done! I love my new kitchen! It seems bigger and has so much more storage! I actually think I am going to like cooking now!

Here are some before/after photos!

Confetti Park

Austin was off again today but leaving to go out of town at lunchtime to Hattiesburg for the USM football game. We decided we would take the morning though to take Colby to the park for a little while. We took him to Confetti Park. This was our 2nd visit there as a family. He was a lot younger though last time we went. Its always fun to see the new things he can do! We have to visit a park atleast once a week to burn off some of his crazy energy! I also love meeting new people when we go. Today there wasn't really anyone for Colby to play with. There was a 5 year old little boy playing baseball with his dad and then a little 1 year old with his grandparents. Neither of them interacted with Colby too much...the 1 year old watched him a lot but he wasn't even really walking so he didn't play as much as Colby.

Colby had a blast going up and down the slides. He brought two of his matchbox cars and Austin showed him how to race them down the slides. There was also a truck at the park and Colby loved playing with that too! This park is nice because its mostly under shade so the slides don't get hot so Colby actually plays on them. The other park we frequent the slides are just too hot in the summer for the kids to even use!

It was quite a fun morning! Now I am just praying he burned off enough energy to take a great nap! Austin is leaving soon so it will be Colby and I tonight...it shouldn't be bad though b/c Austin will be back in the morning too! The rest of the day we will just spend around the house!

Daddy Day and Colby's 3rd Day of School

This has been a really great week! Our kitchen finally got finished praise God! Its so nice! It was definitely worth all the inconveniance! I love cooking now and somehow don't even mind cleaning it right now (that may change in time though) ha.
Yesterday Austin was off which was sooo nice! He had been working for 7 days straight which always makes for a long week for us. We decided to go across the river and work in the nursery at church. Colby has been promoted to the 2 year old class but right now there is no teacher/leadership in that class. We have taken it on ourselves to maintain and keep up the class. I will still be the teacher of the 1s and for right now we will combine the two age groups until more kids make that too hard to do or we can find more qualified leaders. There are only 3 kids in that age range so it only makes sense to combine. The 2 year old class has not really had a teacher in 2 months so the room has gotton a little chaotic...the previous teacher did keep the room nice so there wasn't a whole lot of work to do. I wanted to rearrange the furniture though and do away with this big ugly room. I also took down all the old artwork from the previous class and hung up Bible Verses around the room. I am now excited about this new room for Colby. We will probably flip flop between this room and the toddler room though. I don't want to abandon my other class b/c I really like it too! So when its just Colby and Cade the younger ones we will stay in my old class but when Broc comes who is 2 1/2 we will move to the more suitable class for 2 year olds. Colby really enjoys both classes.
After we worked for about 45 minutes we went to BabiesRUs to get a baby gift. Its rare we go out there because it is so far. I have probably only been about 3 times total. I really wanted to buy some footie pjs for Colby b/c that is about the only place you can find them in his size but they weren't out yet. After shopping we went out to eat for lunch then came home. We had a wonderful afternoon just being together the 3 of us. We cooked the first meal in our kitchen and once again it was nice just to have that time as a family of 3.
Today was Colby's 3rd day of school. Once again we talked about it some yesterday and this morning while getting ready. He seems to really understand. He was fine when I dropped him off. He looked a little sad but didn't cry. When I picked him up he was laughing and just having a grand time so I knew he had a good day! He also came home with his first homework! Its an all about me page. We have to fill it in along with pictures for a project they will make at school! I can't wait to see it! It makes me so excited...I guess that's the teacher in me! I look forward to these things! Well hopefully Colby will take a nice long nap he has been out for a little over an hour...I love that school wears him out too! I am so happy we put him in MDO this year...I don't feel guilty at all it seems as if he is loving it and I am loving my time away as well! It makes me a better mom when I am with him!
I also had MOPS today right down the street from Colby's school. Today we learned about gardening and plants. It was fun and educational. It got me excited about planting things. I want to plant some plants for Colby and I to work on together...he is getting interested in nature now so I think this will be fun! We also decorated pots...we had the option of planting one but I figured it would be more fun to pick up some seeds with Colby and plant something especially for him!

Colby's 2nd Day of School

Today was Colby's 1st full day of school but his 2nd day to go. We talked about it yesterday and this morning that he was going back to school. He seemed to know where we were when we got there. We arrived a little early so we had to wait in the car for a few minutes. He couldn't wait to get out. He even handed over his cars/trucks before he got out. Last week I had to take them which made him upset. So the fact he handed them over made me think he understood as well! He went right on in and only hugged me once. When it was time to go in his class he was a little hesistant but didn't cry. I encouraged him to find the cars and trucks. When it was time for me to go he didn't even notice. I know he had to know I was leaving so I hope he didn't cry once I left! I hope I can find out a little about what they did today when I pick him up.
When I went to get Colby it wasn't long before they started bringing the kids out. I think it was a long day...I guess the first 3 hour day is probably always like that! I heard a kid crying and I was so afraid it was Colby but I was relieved that it was one of the 3 or 4 year olds. He came out as happy as a lark! I asked the teacher how he did she said he was great! She said he's quiet but that he listens well! I am so proud! I knew he would probably be very well behaved at school because that is how he is at church! I can't wait to hear more and more about what he does there. I don't know what all he did today but I assume they played outside on such a pretty day! I am just glad he didn't cry at all! Its wayy better then I expected for only his 2nd day! I know at some point we could still have tears so I am not going to get too overexcited but still!
We went to eat lunch at my parent's house since our kitchen is being worked on...he was in good spirits there but poor baby fell asleep in the car. I carried him to his bed and he just whimpered like he was so tired. So I layed him down and he was asleep 10 minutes later.
He didn't end up napping as long as I hoped but that's ok he should sleep well tonight. I am just happy he had a good 2nd day at school!

How Fast They Grow

September 2008 Colby 2 months old

September 2009 Colby 1 year Just started walking

September 2010 Colby 2 years A big boy who can do art and is going to preschool!

So I just was looking at some of our old pictures today and I can't believe how much Colby has changed in two years. Here are some pictures from the last 3 Septembers.

Church and Storytime

I just thought I would blog about the last 2 days mainly for my records. Its so nice to have all this so I can go back and see what we were doing I have enjoyed reading my posts from this time last year.
Yesterday being Sunday we ofcourse had Sunday School and church. It was Promotion Sunday and Colby was supossed to be promoting to the 2 year old class. We have been concerned over the last 2 weeks or more about his new class. The 2 teachers have not been very involved and we weren't sure how it was going to go. Plus I was worried this would leave our class with just Cade and sometimes Colby would be alone in his class. My thoughts were to combine the 2 classes during activity and storytime. Well yesterday I waited and waited to see if someone came to Colby's classroom. By 9:15 my hope was lost that his teachers were even going to show. I was sorta dissapointed because here I have taught Colby since he was 9 months old. I have enjoyed it but I know it would be good for him to get to know some other adults. Since no one showed up Colby stayed with us in our class. My class is supossed to be 1 year olds. But it was just him and Cade so it worked out fine. I talked to our Sunday School Director about it and she said it was not going to work out with the person whom they thought would be the lead teacher. I told her my idea of combining the classes since there were so few kids in the meantime. She liked that idea and told me to go with it. So basically I will have taught Colby 3 years by the time this is over. Honestly though I am relieved. Since I didn't know the 2 teachers they had assigned that class I was a little concerned. So having him in my class and knowing what is going on is fine for right now. Maybe by January they will have found a 2 year old teacher and that will be good too!
So in Sunday School we had a good time. The activity was making a trail mix from different cereals and dried fruit. Both the boys loved this. We also ended up mixing puffs and goldfish in too! We talked about how Mary and Martha prepared a dinner for Jesus and how Jesus ate with his friends. We also talked about how we were eating with friends and how we could make a snack to share with family and friends. Both boys were very well behaved I thought. When it came time for extended care Colby grabbed onto me and didn't want me to go. I knew he would be fine though he has never cried over a few minutes when I leave him there. I knew the ones in there would be really good with him. Sure enough when church was over they said he had a blast and did fine.
The rest of the day was pretty low key we don't normally do much on Sundays after church besides go eat lunch. We are all so tired by that point. It took Colby forever to settle down for his nap but once he did he slept awhile.
Today being Monday and no set plans I decided we would venture off to the library for storytime again. Our local library has storytime on Mondays and Wednesdays. For some reason though the lady on Mondays is a lot peppier and seems to relate to the kids better. Therefore, Colby prefers that day. So we went ahead and went. The theme today was "back to school" and "fall". Colby loved the songs she sang and he even paid attention to the books she read. He got excited a few times too! When it came time for the "wheels on the bus" he got very into that! It was adorable! He was sitting in his chair just listening and singing along and doing hand motions. I was so proud! I am glad we will hopefully get to go to this all through this year since he goes to school on Tues, Thurs. Next year we will miss it though b/c it will be on his school days. After circle time they always do a fun craft with the kids. Colby sat for about 5 minutes and colored and watched me cut. But he was done so we brought the craft home. We haven't finished it yet but we will either tonight or tomorrow. Today we also painted. Its been awhile since I have gotton the paint out with him. He used to hate it...I used to not be able to get him into art at all but now he loves it! He got an art easel for his birthday and so now he loves to draw on it! So tonight we painted a picture! He did really well!
Its been a wonderful day! Tomorrow is Colby's 2nd day of school and I am praying he does really well again. It will be for the full 3 hours so I am hoping he will be worn out after! He should be! I look forward to seeing what all they might do tomorrow!

9 Years Ago

Today is the 9th Anniversary of 9/11 the day America was attacked. I remember getting ready in my dorm room for class and hearing the reports first on the radio then turning on the tv and I actually saw live when the 2nd plane hit the twin towers. It was a very surreal moment. I had to continue getting dressed and go to class...ironically I had history that day and we had a test. Much to our surprise we still had to procede with the test. I guess it was better to keep things normal and keep people from dwelling on it too much. I am sure I called my parents after I heard what was going on. I remember after class going to my friend's dorm room and us all watching it on her tv. We really thought the world was ending it was so strange. We continued our day as normal. I think my parents drove up the next day and brought me home for the weekend. They wanted me close by. That day our country and our world changed.
I don't remember ever thinking much about wars or our safety in America before that happened. I mean a lot of that was because I was still young but still that day changed a lot.
I hope today as we mourn those lost that we remember how blessed we are to live in America with all the freedoms we have. We also should be thankful for the military who fights every day to keep that freedom. I know we all take it for granted too often what being an American truly means. I just hope this is a day we can all reflect and be grateful.

Colby's 1st Day of School

Today was Colby's First Day of School! I can't believe my little man is now going to school. Its actually Mother's Day Out but still! Today he went from 10-11:3o but next time it will be 9-12. He will go Tuesdays and Thursdays at a local church. I am really looking forward to the break and time to myself. I really don't think I could have kept him home for another year without something! He's soo active plus lately his sleeping habits have been terrible I feel like I never have anytime to myself! I hope it is a refreshing 6 hours for me each week!

I think he will like it since he is so busy and active. He loves outdoors and has really started liking art projects so school should be great for him! I want him to also be more social. He plays with other kids a little but for the most part sticks to himself. He's got a cute little class of 9 two year olds. We know about 3 of the kids in his class so that is good. His teacher seems real sweet although I haven't had a chance to talk to her 1 on 1 a lot yet.

Today I expected lots of tears and for him to be scared. We have been talking about "school" over the last couple of weeks and I have been hoping he understood. This morning we went through it all again and I even brought him outside (which I will do every year) to take his picture! When we got to the school he couldn't wait to get in! He got to play on the playground for a few minutes before the teachers were ready for them to come in. He loved that! Then I told him to let's go in and see some fun toys and he was like oohhh...so he went right into his classroom and started checking out the cars/trucks. He didn't even pay attention to me as I was trying to leave...finally it hit him as I was still standing watching him that I was leaving. He then started to cry. I didn't want to sneak away even though I had the chance...I didn't want him to all of a sudden realize I was gone...I figured it was better for me to tell him bye and that I loved him and would be back. I could still hear him crying as I walked out the door which was hard but I knew he would be ok...I knew they would call if he were still crying after awhile. I just prayed and hoped that he would be ok. I went ahead to my MOPS group down the street which made for a great distraction...it worked out perfectly! I checked my phone several times to make sure I didn't have any missed calls from the school. I knew since no one called he must be fine! I got back a little early I could see the 3 year class outside and the 1 year old class inside but no way to peak in on Colby's class. Finally the director unlocked the gate for us to go in. I like though that they keep people out I feel like its very safe that way and also keeps parents from going back too early. I went to his classroom and could hear a little boy crying I was worried it was Colby but all of a sudden I looked around the door and Colby was just standing there he saw me and lit up! But he seemed happy which was a good sign. I didn't get to talk to the teacher long but she told me he did really well. I asked if he cried long and they said no that he got busy with the toys. I am soo happy he did so well!

I ofcourse would love to know what he did and he can't really tell me. He didn't have any notes or papers today hopefully next week they will come home with some fun things. I think today was basically an introduction and getting the kids used to the classroom. I am not sure if they played outside or not. Just happy he had a great day! I thought he would come home and nap well but instead it was worse...he only slept for 45 minutes...I'm sure it was newness of it all hopefully next week when he goes 3 hours he will sleep better!

Park Play, Potty, and Naps

Today Colby and I had one of our usual "park" dates. I love the relaxed mornings where we don't have to be anywhere and I can just take him to the park for about an hour to hang out and play and see what adventure awaits. When we got there today we were the only ones. I was a little dissapointed because Colby always seems to have more fun when there are other kids around. Finally someone else came and it was the grandmother and little girl we played with last week. The grandmother was so excited to see Colby and I. Apparantly her family has been talking about Colby all week. He and the little girl Addison will be in the same mother's day out class. They are really nice people and I look forward to getting to know them and Colby getting to know Addison. She's really cute and seems to be a sweet little girl.
Colby and her chased each other around the park it was so cute! She was even going up to him saying "hi Colby" and he would play hard to get! Adorable! I am so excited about his new little friends that he is going to have in school! He starts Thursday...I am getting excited! I hope he enjoys it and is able to have a good time and not miss me too much! I expect tears I figure its better to go ahead and expect them but I hope he quits before I leave or doesn't cry long. I will feel so much better leaving if he's not crying!
Anyway Colby has just grown up so much lately. He has been going to the potty now for about 3-4 months. I would say he's still training though because he still has an occassional accident plus only poops in the potty about 10% of the time and rarely tells us when he has to go. Well all that has changed in the last 3-4 days. He has pooped in the potty twice in 3 days and has also led me or told me he has to go potty! I am so excited its like he knows he's starting school and he has to grow up a little bit in the process! I love seeing him learn so much at this age but it is bittersweet when I look at him and don't see "baby" anymore I see little boy!
He's also talking so much these days...he still doesn't say any sentences really just words but he repeats so much and is using a lot more in context. He can also say and recognize many of the letters! I know he's going to learn so much in school too that I will be amazed by January I'm sure what all he has learned to do! He has also gotton interested in art projects which thrills me. He used to want nothing to do with them! But lately he loves it!
This summer we have gone through some sleep issues with him...things seem to be getting back on track though and for that I am so grateful. He is back to taking consistent naps. They aren't always as long as they used to be but if he gets 2 hours I am happy! Although today he's now been down for over 3 hours! I know his body needs to catch up! He's still waking up early. He's pretty much up between 6:30 and 7 these days. I don't mind it too much...I mean I miss sleeping in but its nice because we get a lot more done in the morning and have more time to play and hang out! He's still having a little trouble at night. We put him down consistently at 8 each night. He usually comes out twice between 8 and 9 then falls asleep sometime after 9. I hate he won't go to sleep right away b/c 9 seems so late to be falling asleep for a 2 year old. We even tried putting him down earlier but that didn't make a difference he was still up until 9. So we will stick with the 8:00 bedtime for now. Any earlier really seems too early especially during the summer and when Austin sometimes doesn't get home until after 6. I like for him to spend time with his dad. So I am glad he has somewhat gotton back into a routine! Sleep is great for everyone!

Labor Day

Today has been a wonderful day and its not even over so I am looking to enjoy the next few hours with my little family as well but right now the hubby is out running errands and the little one is sleeping so I have time to catch up on blogging!
It was so nice to not have to rush off somewhere this morning...it was honestly the first morning we had had to ourselves where we were all 3 home and had no where to be early in quite sometime. It was a wonderful feeling. Even though we weren't able to sleep past 6:30 due to our early bird little boy it was nice drinking coffee, watching the news, catching up on some chores, and just playing with Colby.
We did head to my parent's house around 9:30 but it wasn't rushed since we had 3 hours to hang out at home. We went over early so we could take Colby swimming. As always he had a blast. Our friend Laura met us there too. Colby was wild though...I think he was trying to show off with someone else being there. We finally even had to put his floaties on b/c he was being such a little show off. He fell off into the water in the deep end for one thing. It didn't even bother him but later he fell into the hottub luckily he had on the floaties then though but that did scare him. I finally had to reprimand him for being wild. He isn't normally like that in the pool. We did swim for awhile though which was nice. I wanted to really enjoy it knowing we won't be swimming many more times. Usually Labor Day is the last official day I get in but this year since Colby loves it so much I figure we will swim as long as the pool is atleast 80 degrees.
After swimming we all got cleaned up then it was pretty much time for lunch. Randall and Elizabeth came over to join us for lunch which was nice. It was fun visiting with everyone and Colby was soo good! Its usually hit or miss with him at holiday lunches like this but today he was awesome...he's getting easier and better at these types of things. It was a lot harder when he was a baby! We decided not to put him down for his nap at my parents house so he was a little later then his normal nap but he hung in there very well! Like I say when he was like 6-9 months old it was so much harder b/c you had to feed him baby food and then he was still having a bottle so there was so much more to do then it was more necessary to put him down for a nap.
He ended up sacking out in the car which my parent's house is not far from here so we knew he had to be exausted. He stayed half asleep all the way in the house so I just layed him in his bed and took his shorts off and underwear and slipped on a pullup...he cried for a minute so I sat down beside his bed but he was asleep in 5 minutes!
He took about a 2 hour nap but since has been up and been a little cranky. I think he's still tired but I think he was also groggy because he has livened up a little I'm just praying he's not getting sick again. I don't think he is but still he was soo good this morning now he's in a mood...although I guess he's usually more well behaved in the morning then the afternoon it seems after nap until dinner time is the hardest part of the day because after dinner he usually gets in a good mood again until bedtime! I think we are just going to eat leftovers for dinner and take it easy this evening!
Not sure what all our week holds this week or what we will do tomorrow...if nothing comes up Colby and I will probably make a visit to the park!

Sunday

Today was another busy Sunday for us but I really enjoy them! This was a special day in Sunday School...it was the last official day for Colby and Broc to be with us and it was the Moving Up Party. Its sad in a way to now be moving Colby up...I always said I would never teach my own child but I have to honestly say I have enjoyed it but it will be good for him to move up to a new class. He has been with me since he was about 9 months old. Today we had our usuals Colby, Broc, and Cade. I have to say they were a little restless today. I give the reasoning as we had a nice "fall" morning and I think they all wanted to be outside plus our routine was much differenet with the Moving Up stuff. None of them were bad just restless. We had our normal time in our room of playing/learning then we went to enjoy breakfast and see the new room. Its really not a new room for Colby and Broc b/c that is usually where they have extended care.
They all really enjoyed the breakfast. They chowed down on grapes, strawberries, donut holes, and muffins! I was a little sad though that their new teachers weren't in the room to greet them! Hopefully Colby does ok next week when its time to promote! I also had extended care with them today along with Austin. We decided since it was such a pretty day and they were all seemingly restless we would take them outside. I think that is just what they needed. They were all so good out there. The 4 year old class was also out there. Colby had a great time outside they all played very hard!
I think Austin and I were worn out too after extended care they kept us on our toes! We were able to go out with some friends though for lunch while my parent's kept Colby which was really nice! Afterwards we went to Best Buy to do a little shopping then came home for naps! I think we both crashed! I went to pick Colby up around 4:30. It sounded like he had a blast with the grandparents. He ate lunch, napped, and went swimming! He's usually always so happy on Sundays. It makes me happy to see him enjoy church and family so much! I really think he has always loved Sundays! We just had a laid back family night tonight. We grilled steaks and had homemade mashed potatoes and green beans. Colby loves this food too!
We are looking forward to Labor Day tomorrow being with family and just hanging out and relaxing!

Wiggle Room

So this has been quite an exciting week for Colby...he has gotton to do fun activities every day. It normally is not like this I mean I try to get him out of the house every day but not necessarily to a really cool special place several times a week. But between our kitchen being worked on and Austin being off we have had more chances to get out and about. Today once again we had work going on in our kitchen and we had the idea of just driving to Slidell to get out for several hours.

We first went to the Wiggle Room. I had never been before but had heard great things about it. It was a wonderful place for little ones. Very clean and lots of places for them to play. Adults and kids had to take their shoes off when entering the play area and put on socks. I really liked this idea because then you knew the ground was clean. For the first hour we had the entire place to ourselves which was nice. It finally started filling up though around 10:30. Colby played with a few other kids but mostly did his own thing. I loved that it ws such a relaxing environment. It was all imaginative/manipulative play and no loud noises.

I definitely will be making a drive back over there in the near future. After the playtime we went to Cracker Barrel to meet Austin's parents there for lunch. Since we had to be out of our house anyway we figured why not? It was good to see them and Colby enjoyed visiting with them. He had a HUGE meltdown in Cracker Barrel though. We went in and he immediatley headed for the toys and the cars. Well he picked up about 3 cars and headed towards the dining area. Austin told him he had to put them all back. Well this caused a HUGE meltdown and I really felt bad for Colby b/c he's still too young to understand why he couldn't just pick all those cars up like at home and carry them away I think. We went on to sit down and Colby was pitching a fit...screaming, kicking, crocodile tears, twisting and contorting his body...honestly I don't think I have ever seen him pitch such a fit! Even once we sat down and he got settled in he would still tear up wanting to go back and get them. Finally austin gave in...he went and bought him a car. Once he got the car he was fine...now don't get us wrong...we don't believe in giving in to our child at his every whim or buying him toys everywhere we go but this was different. 1) He had no idea the concept of those belonged to the store and 2) Our whole visit/lunch would have been ruined because he doesn't give up easily. So all ended well ofcourse now we have 2 more cars to add to our ever growing of like 80+ cars...oh well though!

After we got home our contractor was still working so we thought we would all lay down in Colby's room and have a "camp out" yea thats funny...no one really slept...I think Austin and I dozed for like 10 minutes but Colby never did sleep! Finally we gave up and let him just play! The rest of our day was just pretty much straightening up our house and eating dinner and getting Colby to bed.

I will be so glad when all this kitchen stuff is done! When its all said and done it will have been going on over 2 weeks!

BUGS!!!!

Today austin was off and we were having more work done in our kitchen so we decided to take Colby downtown and do the Insectarium. This was only our second visit. The first was around this time last year. Ofcourse we knew it would be a big difference with Colby. Last year he wasn't even really walking therefore he stayed in the stroller most of the visit. We didn't feel like last year he "noticed" many of the exhibits other then the butterfly room either. So we were excited to see his reactions.

We first stopped at Austin's old hotel the New Orleans Marriott. We actually parked there since it is the closest building to the Insectarium. We thought since we were there and early we would go in and visit his old coworkers. Colby was a little shy but I think everyone thought he was cute. Austin got to show him off to most of the ones he wanted to. That was the first time Colby had ever been there!

Afterwards we headed to the Insectarium. From the moment we walked in Colby was fascinated. He was running around looking and touching everything! He loved it...what a difference a year makes! I would have to say his favorite exhibits were the underground stuff. He didn't want to leave that room. He loved all the bugs that would pop out at him! He thought that was great! It was so funny to see him in there and that he wasn't scared at all. He also liked the Bug car he climbed in that for quite awhile. We also chose to do the movie this year. Last year we opted out of it for 2 reasons...1 there was a large school group in there and 2 we figured it would scare a 1 year old senseless because it is a 4D movie with all sorts of special effects. Well I figured this year we were the only ones in there so what was the worst that happened we had to leave with him? He ended up loving it! Everytime the seats would move or something would pop out he would just giggle and laugh soo cute! Another point proved he is going to love Disney!

He liked all the rooms that were kid friendly with buttons and things to touch. He also learned to say "roach, ant, bugs, and fly" while we were there haha!

He didn't seem to notice the butterflies in the butterfly room as much as he did last year or I had hoped. He was more into running around and wanting to jump in the pond! I am glad we got to take him there and hope to go back more often now that I know he is old enough to get something out of it!

After that we went to eat at this place called Felipe's. Its a mexican place but set up more like a Subway. You order like your base: burrito or whatever then have them put whatever you want on it from the counter. Its very good! Colby loved it too! Ofcourse he's always up for mexican!

Once we ate we headed back to my parent's house since we were having work going on today so Colby could nap. He ended up taking about a 2 hour nap which is great since there are 2 football games to watch tonight so he might be up a little later then normal atleast until halftime. Hopefully he stays in a good mood!

We love daddy days off!