Mr. Independent.

Levi has become such an independent little boy. He loves to do things by himself. He doesn't want you to hold his hand when he is walking - even down steps! (but we do anyway!:), he can get his own toys or books, and he can feed himself! Where did my baby go?!

Tonight I started to feed Levi some yogurt as a snack. He refused to even take a little bite from me, but kept reaching for the spoon and the yogurt cup. So I let him have at it. First he used the spoon, then he decided his little hands were a faster way to get it out! Although I'm not sure he really got too much in his mouth, he sure looked cute trying. :)

silly stories

So many funny stories happen every day in our house - all to often, I forget that it won't always be this way, so I thought I'd write down a few to remember - and for you all to get a laugh...

1-- One night Isaiah couldn't sleep and so I came in and we read a few more books together...He now has to go to bed with a huge stack of books that lay beside him while he sleeps...It was after 9 and I knew he was really tired. He picked a really boring book about what it means to be an author (this was a young elementary text book that I got from my mom's school - and way over his head), so I knew he wasn't really listening....and out of no where he says, "sometimes I puke." "Yeah," I said, "sometimes that happens, do you feel sick now?" "No."

2--This one is sweet, not funny, but I think it is so cute... Isaiah, Levi and I were playing together in the toy room one day. Out of no where Isaiah started singing to Levi "Baby Brother, Baby Brother, Baby Brother Levi, You are my baby brother Levi." :)

3--One morning we were on our way to Laura's house, we drove by a big water tower and Isaiah shots out, "WOH! That one is hugmundas!!!" I said, "do you mean it's humongous? " "Yeah. That is humongous!" ha ha. I've never heard him use that word before. By the way--pointing out water towers is something that we just do now. I'm not sure how it started -- I think it was when Grandma Michele was here visiting and we took a trip to Adventureland. Anytime anyone sees a water tower they get to point it out. If I notice one and say it, Isaiah will usually say, "I see a water tower -- I got it." Meaning, he got the point for seeing it first even though I did :)

4--On the way home one night, I told Isaiah that when we got home we had to go right to his room and read stories. He said, "why?" I explained that it was bed time and "Levi has to go to bed, Kammy has to go to bed, Austin has to go to bed, Mommy and Daddy have to go to bed, and so does he." He then says, "and the car has to go to bed." I said, "yeah, the car has to go to bed too." He says, "the car gets to sleep outside." "Yep, it does." "The car is tired." Ha ha :)

5--Isaiah is completely hooked on Curious George books. Mark got him a few a month or so ago and since then they are basically the only books he wants to read. Then a week or so ago we got a few more at the library. Now we have a small selection of what we can read, his favorite is Curious George and the Hot Air Balloons--which I read to him on average 4 times a day! :) There is a part in the book about Mount Rushmore and it lists the presidents who are on it, every time after I read the names he says, "no, that it is Ollie, Ohlie, Ollie, Ollie." I'm not sure what that means, but that's their names according to him :). We also checked out Curious George Makes Pancakes because Isaiah loves pancakes. He REFUSES to read the book. I suggest it every time we sit down to read and he always says, "I don't like that one." We've never gotten past the first page. I have no clue why. Silly boy.

6--One morning Isaiah had waffles for breakfast and got a little sticky with the syrup. He said, "I'm all sticky mommy, I need to wash this off in the bathtub." So he got in the bath and then asked me, "where is the sun's mommy?"

goodbye.

When Mark found out he was leaving for Iraq he told me I had to get a gun or a dog. It is not hard to guess which I chose. We searched hard to find just the dog for us -- and we found him on May 30, 2005. We named him Krypto Nite (after Superman's dog, of course) and he was our baby. While Mark was gone, he was my everything - he slept in my bed, went where ever I went, he got me through the two years until Mark came home.

He was a fearless dog. He loved to be free and he loved to explore. And he could play catch for hours and hours. He was such a smart dog, too smart for his own good.

Last night, like many times before, he found a way to escape, but this time he doesn't get to come back. He was hit by a car and was killed.

We will miss you Krypto.

Krypto Nite
April 1, 2005 - September 29, 2009

happy birthday Anna B!

Our friend Anna turned 2 this past week and she had a party to celebrate on Saturday night. The party was at Pumpkinville, a farm that has a pumpkin patch and several other fun fall activities set up for families to enjoy the season. What a great idea, Shannon!

The boys had lots of fun playing in the hay loft! Levi LOVED to see all of the animals, especially the ducks. He even SAID the word duck!
And of course the ride out to the pumpkin patch was lots of fun too! -- Levi is getting so independent too, on the ride he wanted to stand by himself and watch out the side. If I put my hand on him at all, he would push it away! silly boy.
We each picked out a pumpkin to take home - Isaiah picked out the smallest one, I was expecting him to pick out a HUGE one...guess I was wrong! :) I can't wait until we get to carve them together as a family!
What a fun birthday party! Thanks for inviting us Anna!

so tired.

Isaiah is in a phase (I hope!) right now where he is just ridiculasly hard to get to sleep. He fights it in every way he can think of for both naps and bedtime. We've had the same routine for a long time and he used to go to bed so easily and all of a sudden it's a huge stress for everyone! He thinks up every excuse there is and takes hours (literally) to fall asleep. I think it stems back from our trip to Clear Lake in August when we were all in the same room to sleep, and Mark or I laid in the bedroom until he fell asleep. We know he's tired because (not only how he's acting--cranky, etc), but if we lay in his room with him, he will fall asleep and take a good nap or sleep through the night (usually).

Oh well. Really, I'm so often reminded by so many things that this stage - his little years - fly by so fast. I can't complain that he doesn't get to sleep... but I can show you just how tired he was tonight! He didn't get a nap again today (they seem to be few and far between for me anymore - he does a little better with Mark, and Laura can almost always get him to nap at least an hour). After fighting with him for an hour and a half, I just gave up again... he was up a couple hours in the night last night because of a horrible cough he had (which already seems to be gone, Thank Goodness!), so I knew he was incredibly tired.

So as I peak in his room one last time tonight before I was going to bed, this is what I found:
My guess is he woke up to go potty and just didn't make it...and that there is probably a wet spot underneath him that will have to be shampooed, but doesn't he just look so sweet? My super tired little boy.

Sorry the picture is so dark, but there was no way I was risking it with the flash! :)

on the way home.

Here's what happened on the way home from the park this morning...

so sweet.

Isaiah's first football game!

On Saturday Mark took Isaiah to his first ever football game at the UNI dome! They had a blast! The Panthers played against South Dakota and WON with a score of 66-7!! What a great daddy son activity! I'm sure they will do it again this fall!

A few pictures before the game started ... Watching the Panthers!
Football games are tiring!! Especially when you refuse to take your nap before the game!! :)
After 3 quarters of the game, all the fun was had and it was time to go home!
By the way -- Mark brought the camera all on his own and took all these great pictures! I'm so proud of him!! :)