May Update

There have been so many things that have happened lately, or that I've just found cute and memorable and each time I think "I really want to put this on my blog to have..."  I truly love having my "baby book" at my finger tips, and since I haven't done great at all at filling in Will's baby book, I think I will stick around the blogging world a bit longer.  Maybe if only once a month, sometimes less...

 The boys are growing and changing so much, that I can hardly figure out where time went.  Walker graduated from the 3 year old preschool class last week, and will be enrolled in "real" school next year when he attends Pre-K.  I can't believe that time has come! 

He has really enjoyed school and his teachers, and though I really wanted him at school with me next year that didn't work out, and we are more than pleased that he will stay at his current school for one more year before attending elementary school where mommy teaches.  (Can't wait for those days, by the way!   It's like a consolation prize for having to be a working mom...every day from Kindergarten until Fifth grade my babies will be at school with me.)

Our wee ball season is coming to a close.  Walker has had fun playing ball.  His little team is so cute to watch, and Walker is just a mess.  Some days he is really in it, and other days he is really, well...just A.D.D.  We have enjoyed all the time at the ball field with our family and friends!

Walker has also had some crazy allergic reactions going on the past few months, and it got to the point that he was breaking out head to toe in hives any time he ate or touched anything.  After a visit to an allergist and two doses of two different histamine blockers daily for a month, things are MUCH better.  He has minor allergies to corn, soy and peanuts.  The corn and soy allergy isn't serious and after our follow up with the allergist next month, probably won't be anything we have to ever worry about again.  Even though the peanut allergy was only a class 2 on a scale of 0-6 (6 being life threatening), we are having to avoid all nuts, products containing nuts and legumes.  So, the only beans he can have are green beans.  We learned this after him having a MAJOR reaction on Mother's Day after eating beans at lunch.  Peanut allergies are very aggressive allergies.  Once a reaction occurs, any further exposure creates an increased reaction and can very quickly become life threatening.  We were immediately prescribed an epi pen for the peanut allergy and were told it must accompany Walker everywhere.  These days we carry a small bookbag with a bottle of benedryl, his inhaler (which he uses quite frequently these days) and the epi pen.  Thank the good Lord that so far we haven't had to use the epi pen! 

Walker is still in to ninjas and fighting.  He has also recently developed a small interest in country music.  He's also recently started enjoying movies that are part real and part animation, like Alvin and the Chipmunks.  I can remember on vacation with my friend Jenny and her girls a few years ago, he wouldn't have anything to do with that type of movie, and her girls loved it.  It wouldn't hold his attention for a split second once the animation left the screen. Same thing when I took him to see Yogi Bear.  He is finally starting to appreciate real life television, I suppose.  He is addicted (and I don't use that term loosely here) to Power Rangers.  Obsessed and addicted.  We are always having to play Power Rangers at home.  He's usually content with Cliff and I going about our business while being ruegers that he and Will (Jayden in role play) have to attack and take down. 

Walker's favorite routine right now seems to be our nightly Bible time.  This is something we started several months ago, out of a conviction of how important it is for Cliff and I to be the ones who present truth to our children on a daily basis.  It quickly became the highlight of our days.  We love having Bible time each night, and at four, Walker is so hungry for biblical knowledge.  I hope he stays that way!  He probably knows more about OT stories than I can recall without checking my facts, and he has a keen awareness of how to apply that to his little life.  I love it!

 Will is finally starting to learn some new words and talk a little more than just mama, dada, and uh.  :)

He has picked up a slew of new words here recently.  Some of them that come to mind now are: "mam mama"-grandmama, "toot-tee"-cookie, "fish'-goldfish, "cheeeeeese uh"-cheese puff, "ock"-sock, "deuce"-juice, eat, "montee"-monkey, "owide"-outside, papa, and my personal favorite..."eeeeDeeee"-easy which is his name for Callie.  We have all said "easy" to him so many times when dealing with Callie because he likes to pet her heavily sometimes, so now whenever he sees pictures of her, or sees her in real life he says "eeeeeDeee..."  SO PRECIOUS!  It's kinda stuck and we refer to her as eady sometimes-so long as he doesn't learn the real word and call her that into their teenage years.  Not so cute at that point! 

Will has surprised us lately with what he knows and understands.  We have said before that he is definitely our "award winning personality child", but that he doesn't seem to know as much or be as "with it" as Walker was at his age.  Here lately though, it appears he is Kid Genius part 2 and has just been a closet genius.  He is coming outta the closet though...in the smarts department, that is! :)

He seems to understand even conversation between Cliff and I.  He doesn't miss a beat.  He may not be able to talk in short sentences, or even really talk at all, like his big brother could at this age, but he sure knows how to communicate what he wants! 

He is definitely a resident hurricane, whereas Walker was just a resident tornado.  Will can destroy a room in 5 seconds flat, and if I am being honest my house stays so messy these days that someone popping in on us unannounced is about the worst thing I could imagine happening!  I am trying HARD to enjoy these years and let it go, but if I am  being honest, I struggle to not feel like my house defines me.  In some sense, it does.  It's a mess.  A crazy mess.  And so am I.  But, it's also filled with happiness.  Lots of happiness.  And Love.  Lots of it.  And guess what?  So am I. 

Will has learned to nod his head yes and say "uh huh" for yes.  I think it's so funny that they pick up slang before real words like that. I remember W1 did the same thing.
Will still tells us every time he is ready for night night and we never have a fight with him.  It's amazing-perfect little toddler.  He loves being outside, loves getting dirty, loves wrestling with his brother, and seems to have some condition that prevents him from feeling the pain of being body slammed, knocked over, scraped, up, etc...  He laughs almost constantly throughout the day.  He loves music and loves to dance.  We have been doing lots of dancing in our house lately.  Walker and I have no rhythm.  Will might take after his daddy-still up for debate.  The child LOVES music.  I think he will be musically talented.  He likes to read Moo Baa La, La, La.  It's his new favorite and he will say "La, La, La" to let me know it's time for his next dose.  He particularly likes the part about the kitten saying meow.  He likes to watch my lips when I read that part.  He may be attracted to it because he is forever chasing Poppy's cat when we go to their house.  He's yet to catch it.  He hears that cat meow ALOT while trying to escape.  :) 

He is a very loving child.  He loves to give kisses and hugs and will often surprise us all with a kiss plant or nuzzle during playtime. 

 The boys have gotten really close and really have a special relationship.  They adore each other in their own way.  We love to watch the interact and I am learning to let them duke it out sometimes too.  I think God gave me two sets of brothers to prepare me for having two sons.  What a preparation!  They are the best friends I know, and I am so glad they are ours.  Every day brings something new.  Sometimes good, sometimes not so great, but always memorable. 

We are stoked to have summer off with our boys and be able to enjoy the little moments in life for the next 9 weeks.