Aspens!

 We went up to see the aspens change into the fall colors. It was a beautiful drive and the kids had a lot of fun at the stream we stopped at to have a picnic lunch. Carter and Tyler kept jumping over the rocks down the stream. Right before we were suppose to take some family pictures Carter slipped and fell in. Besides being cold and wet he was fine.  It was a great day - enjoy the pictures!

Birthday Day

To celebrate Tyler's birthday we asked him what he wanted to do - the answer play and watch football. For his birthday he got a Peyton Manning jersey and a new Broncos football. He loved them. He also got a new light saber from Carter.  After playing some football, watching the Broncos, making cookies with me for his class and going out to dinner where he got sung to, we came home for cake. He requested a Bronco football cake and once again Justin did a great job. I think Tyler had a great birthday!

Seven!

Happy 7th Birthday Tyler! You have grown so much this year. You have now lost 8 teeth and are up to my shoulders! More than that though you have matured so much. Always helping out around the house and with Nolan and Olivia. Doing your homework every night (about 40 minutes every night!) and doing great at school. You were picked by your teacher to be the first science helper (where you got to water the plants and take care of the toads) because of your behavior in school. In school you are reading more and more and it astounds me how you can read most of the books you pick up. You still love math and speed through that homework. You are also a great writer as well.

You favorite part of school is still P.E, however. Which is no surprise seeing how everyday you are playing football, basketball or soccer outside. You play both sides and keep score, and make sure I always know what is going on in the games as well (you seem to o into overtime a lot). The Broncos are your favorite team, but you also love Notre Dame and the Air Force Falcons.  If you aren't playing a sport you are jumping on the trampoline with Carter or playing Star Wars with him.

You and Carter don't play as much as you once did (you two have different interests) you guys still have a great bond. I love watching you take care of him at school (even when he doesn't want it). Also every night before bed you guys are usually laughing about something together.

We love you Tyler and are so proud of the boy you have become. Happy Birthday sweetheart!

Favorite Things

Every kid has a song that I sing just to them. Nolan's song is Baby Mine. Every night Nolan and I rock while Justin get Olivia in her pajamas. Every night Nolan asks me to sing "mine". If we happen to forget, he will ask me before I put him down and won't go to sleep until I do. I always ask him what song he wants to sing, and while he will ask for other songs as well, "mine" is his favorite, and it my favorite too.

Big Boy Bed

Last weekend we moved Nolan into a toddler bed. So far he is doing great. The first night it took them a while to o to sleep, but that was because of Olivia. She thought it was so funny that she could throw her baby doll out of the crib and Nolan would get out of bed to give it back to her. They both eventually fell asleep though. Nolan does come out in the morning, but if its too early he will go back to bed. Also Olivia is sleeping in more because Nolan isn't waking her. I was most worried about naps, but Nolan is going down fine with that as well. Hopefully this will keep up and my fear of them destroying the room instead of sleeping won't come true (something the older boys did).

Daddy Date Take Two

After Justin took Carter to the soccer game he took Tyler to a high school football game. Tyler absolutely loved it. Justin tells me he would clap and cheer with the rest of his crowd and watched the entire game. They left a few minutes early (it was already 9 pm and getting cold) and he didn't want to leave. They got a few snacks and Tyler got a free glow necklace, but his favorite part was just watching the game. Justin loved it too. I think there are many more football games in their future together.

Sibling Love

Nolan and Olivia are starting to have the sweetest relationship. Nolan is always wondering where Olivia is when she is taking a nap and loves to run to her crib when I tell him it times to get her up. She in turn is also all smiles and giggles when she see him. Nolan will also go up and give her hugs (which are sometimes to tight) and kisses. Olivia will chase Nolan around the room, which they both think is the funniest thing ever. At church they are in the same room together on Wednesday night and they both love it. They don't always play together, but Livi is always happier when Nolan is in the room with her. I love watching them together, it always warms my heart.

Daddy Date

Justin took just Carter on an outing he wanted to do. We are hoping some one on one attention may help with his behavior at school. Plus still Carter really doesn't like football. Now that it's football season Tyler and Justin watch football together every weekend, and  Carter will go off and be on his own. So he needed some one on one daddy time anyway. carter said he wanted to go to a soccer game so Justin took him to an Air Force one. Carter says he had a lot of fun., However he climbed the bleachers the whole time and never really ever watched the game. Half way though, Justin just took him to the park so he could climb some more.  I am glad they got some special time together.

Dress up

Olivia loves to play with Nolan's cars, run around in the backyard and get dirty, and loves to climb, so I was thinking she would be a little tom boy. However just recently she has started to love playing dress up. The other day she brought me every bow and headband for me to put in her hair, she then wanted to wear her sunglasses, and her bib as well. She then ran around like she knew how cute she was. Maybe I will have a girly-girl after all. Either way its so fun to see the differences she already has between her and her brothers.

Potty Training Fail

Nolan wants to be potty trained. He loves to sit on his potty, he tells me before he does a number 2, and right after his diaper gets wet he wants to be changed. I don't want to potty train him though, I just really don't have the time to devote to it Plus the fact that we don't have any consecutive days in a row that we are home, its just not appealing to me at all.  However the pediatrician told me if I don't start now, it could make it harder later. So we got him the underwear, the potty seat, and the m&m's. He was very excited, but never got the hang of it. He would sit down, tell me he was done, just to stand up and pee on the floor. So after a day I put him back in diapers. I tried one more time a couple days later, just letting him run around with nothing on, and once again he just didn't get it. I think  for a day about once a month  we will try and if during the day something clicks and he gets it we will keep going, but from past experience I know how trying of a time this can be so I am fine if it takes him a bit.  If nothing else he got a really funny picture of him swinging from the trampoline with nothing on (not really suitable for the internet though).

Sweet stuff

Carter was upset about something (I think he lost a privilege for poor choices or something) and he was sitting on the edge of the trampoline climbing. Nolan climbed up onto the trampoline, walked over to Carter and gave him hug. It was one of the sweetest things ever. Life is good.

Baseball

One weekend the weather was gorgeous so we had an impromptu baseball game. Usually Carter doesn't want to play (baseball isn't his thing) but he joined in as did Nolan and even Livi tried some. It was a lot of fun! The video is mostly of Nolan practicing before we started.

First Weeks of School

So the boys have been in school for a few weeks now and its been a bit of a roller coaster. Tyler seems to love his class and doing great, but he is starting not to enjoy doing homework every night. Carter loved his first day, but he is having a harder time adjusting. He says he is just playing, but he has pushed kids a couple of times and doesn't always remember to raise his hand or to sit quietly. You would think he didn't have two years of preschool. My biggest fear is that kids won't want to play with him because of his behavior, and unless everyone is his friend Carter would tell you he doesn't have any (although every day he tells me who he plays with). We are working his his teacher and hoping this adjustment period will be over soon. On the other side of it, he loves learning and wants to do his homework every night and is picking things up very quickly. This parenting thing can be tough, but I know we have two great boys who will be doing great things with their lives.

Nursery Time

Now that summer is over and MOPs is back in session, we are at church a few times every week. We didn't go as much in the summer as they don't have Sunday school for the boys and they didn't want to go where they say "the babies go". So Olivia hasn't been in the nursery in a while. Big mistake. She cries every time I drop her off and then usually have to come get me because she won't stop crying. Its getting a little better every time and they recently moved her up to the toddler room. She seems to do even better up there, but I don't think she has gone a time yet without crying for a portion of the morning. I know she will get used to it soon though, but I hope that's sooner than later! (and yes that is her sitting on our patio table - she is quite the climber just like her brothers!)

Labor Day Weekend

 Nana and Bapa came to visit for a quick visit on their way out of town and back. Olivia and Nolan both had runny noses, so Justin took the boys to their hotel on Friday night to swim. The boys loved it and Justin didn't even get into the pool with them. Very nice that they are so independent now. On Sunday morning we met up at memorial park to watch the balloon launch. Unfortunately because of wind, the balloons didn't go up, but it was still fun to see them inflate. We then went out to breakfast before saying good bye. Always a fun treat when Nana and Bapa come!

Also on Labor Day weekend we had a great day of riding our bikes in the park. So much fun to have 2 two-wheelers!