The Mom of Boys....sweet little wild boys!

So my life is constantly "entertaining". Jacob and Dylan always provide me with a story (or 2) to tell. Today - as in, it's 8:44am - Dylan has fallen and busted his lip on the coffee table, learned how to climb up and stand up in his rocking chair, and ate the tip of a blue marker (hand and face completely blue).

Jacob is less of a physical catastrophe and more of a verbal hilarity. He started singing a song the other day (real words: "Talk about it, Talk about it, Talk about it..oooooo yeah"). Jacob's take on the song? "Taco Buddy, Taco Buddy, Taco Buddy....ooooooo yeah". So now we all sing that song around here.

Also, if you know Jacob - you know he's quite passionate about trains. So we got a newsletter from the zoo and it had a picture of the Red Diamond Express (the new train sponsored by the tea makers). I cut it out for Jacob and he wanted it put in a frame. So I put it in a frame in his room. This morning he said he decided it needed to be in the living room. So he rearranged some pictures in the living room and put it proudly on display on my end table. So if you are visiting, we will have a framed picture of the Red Diamond Express displayed for you! Here are a few good recent pictures....

Checking out the butterfly exhibit at the zoo.


So proud of his new trick. He also climbs up on sofas and coffee tables.
Not even 14 months old yet!!

This is another good one I got when we went to Botanical Gardens
while Jacob was at zoo camp.

Here is the Red Diamond Express in our Living Room.

Here's my cute little guy at VBS.
They sang a precious song about being Thankful.

At the zoo with buddies Ella and Hannah.
It was about a 1000 degrees outside.

Jacob and his favorite robot - Wall-e!

Oh yeah, he's walking

Dylan is fully walking now. He's been trying to walk for a month or so (was taking a couple of steps here and there on his 1st birthday). But now at 13 months old it's is preferred method of transportation around the house. His waddle is pretty cute!

Shop Smart, I Say

Ok, so we all have those great pictures stored on our computers, but it costs a ton to get something framed, right? NO! Check out what I did for less than $30 total (including tax, shipping, framing, everything).

1. Got a coupon from a photo company saying I had a free print (get on the mailing lists and they'll send you these things). I have accounts with several different companies and use whoever has the best deal going on when I need to order prints. Primarily use Snapfish, Shutterfly and Kodak. The coupon was for 1 free 11x14 print. (+ tax & shipping = <$2.50)

2. Get a Frame (16x20) from Hobby Lobby during a 50% off week. (regular price $30, for me, $15)

3. Choose Custom Mat Color and get Hobby Lobby to cut it professionally and even put the photo, mat and frame together, including the loops and wire added to the back. (Cost $9.00 for mat, $1.00 for loops and wire, $0 for labor!)

Poof, I walk out of the store with a beautiful 16x20 framed photograph ready to hang on the wall! Be smart about it and you can get quality pieces for little moola.

Summer Highlights - June 08

What a great summer we've had already! I'll go ahead and say that working with 2 little boys at home with you for the summer is close to impossible, but late nights are my work time. I love them to death, but do look forward to school starting again so I can get work done before the clock strikes midnight.

Some things we've done this summer so far...
Zoo (see animals and play in fountains), Chuck E Cheese's with Jacob's friends, Botanical Gardens, Homewood Park playground, Helena's playground, Helena Library Weekly story time, Oak Mountain Petting Zoo, McWane Center, Summer Fun Day at their New School, Beach trip to Cape San Blas, lots of swimming (Matt's pool, Grandma's pool, our baby pool, slip n slide), went to see Wall-E, and Jacob went to Zoo Camp for a week, and a few visits to the bookstore (a Jacob favorite!)

Here are a couple pictures from our outings...

Dylan at Botanical Gardens

Jacob at McWane Center

Jacob at Petting Zoo

Jacob at the library
(Ronald McDonald came and did a show for the kids)

The boys playing in the fountains at the zoo

Jacob and his school buddies at Chuck E Cheese

Cape San Blas

Last week we went to Cape San Blas with Dustin's family. They have been going there pretty much Dustin's whole life. It's a really remote beach - it's a strip of land that jets off the Panhandle. There are no big condos, restaraunts or grocery stores. There is 1 gas station and 1 convenience store. There was a bear spotted playing with the gas pumps the week before we were there (which happened to be across the street from the house we stayed in) and sting rays are a common thing to have swim around you in the ocean! They also have lots of rules for sea turtles (turn off the outside lights at night, close blinds, dont use flashlights on the beach, etc). So it's a neat little place to go for a slow and relaxing week.

Here are several pictures I took this week. Jacob is a true Beach Boy. Dylan dined on sand by the handfulls - yuck!

It was a great time!

(eating the sand)

Dylan's 1st Birthday

Dylan turned the Big 1 on May 30. He just seems older to me. He's communicating with us more - whether that's in a positive or negative way - he let's us know what he needs. Maybe it's growling at his brother or smiling and waving at Dustin and I. Either way, he's a doll and becomes more and more entertaining all the time.

For his 1st birthday we had a small cookout at our house mainly with family. We grilled out, opened presents, everyone signed a Dr. Suess Book called "Happy Birthday To You" for Dylan and of course - there was cake. Remember - Dylan has allergies, so we had to make a special egg-free, dairy-free cake. Here is what happened with that!!! Oh yeah, and apparently there was something he couldn't have in the green icing. There was a reaction, but fortunately it was diverted with Benedryl!

The Cake - for the rest of us - turned out too cute!

Sweet little Dyl before he became the cake monster!

And Poof - he became the cake monster!

For whatever reason, he loved rubbing it all over his face?!

His Blue Eyes Glowed behind that Chocolate icing.

Jacob's Birthday Party, Milk, Eggs & Peanuts

So it's been a month since the last entry. Busy month! It seems like this is a popular month for birthdays. What happens 9 months ago that makes us all decide to have babies at the same time?

Jacob turned 4 on Sunday. FOUR! He's such a great kid and a very good big brother. We had a birthday party on Saturday with his soccer team at the playground out here in Helena. It was a great time. The weather held out, thankfully, as it was suppose to rain. We were missing a few key relatives, but are excited Laura completed her first 1/2 marathon in Nashville (mom was with her). Matt was at a wedding in MS. with Shelley. But they all came over Sunday night and we grilled out and opened Laura's present - a CARS Slip 'N Slide - Matt joined Jacob in the water! He won a few uncle points with that I believe!

On another note, as you may remember, We learned several months ago that Dylan has a milk protein allergy (dairy allergy). We learned the hard way when we gave him formula and ended up at the ER. Last week I took him to the Allgergist to see if he's outgrown it (think 1st bday cake, move from formula to milk, eat cheese & yogurt). Well, not only does he still have the dairy allergy, he also has an Egg allgery (both a 4 out of 4 on the scale) and a slight showing of Peanut (1 out of 4). So we are to keep all things dairy, egg and peanut related away. Guess what foods have these things in them? All of them! Ok, so it seems that way right now. But when a Goldfish is a "no-no" and he's on the prowl (crawling through the house) we have to make sure that the dear older brother hasn't left any snacks out. But! We'll get it figured out and hopefully when we retest at age 3 we'll learn they are all gone!

We hope everyone is doing well. Stay in touch!