doodlemonkey11

halloween 2010

2010-11-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted from all of the parties! Vaughn had a party at Kids Core on Thursday and kindergarten on Friday. Brock had his daycare Halloween night party. I thought that Brock might like to be Thomas the train since he is into them so much...nope! He refused to wear the Thomas the train costume, Elmo,and the fire man costume I ran to Target to buy! I really tried to get him to put them on and he just screamed at me! On Sunday (Halloween) we were going to go around the neighborhood. We practiced trick or treating with Aunt Gina and Grandma. Vaughn was so good in his Bumblebee/Transformer costume. ( I bought the costume last year...guess I underestimated how much he would grow!) We finally got Brock to up on the Elmo costume, but he didn't want the hood up! As you can see by the pictures it was a tough getting him to keep it up. We met up with Ryan and his kids to go around the neighborhood. Brock got the hang of it pretty fast and tried to keep up with the big kids. Brock and I came home and then Vaughn went with Ryan and his kids to do more trick or treating. We have tons of candy! No trick or treaters at our house!

Vaughn's 1st day of kindergarten pictures

2010-09-09T22:45:00.001-07:00

Vaughn

2010-09-09T22:44:00.001-07:00

Vaughn's 1st day of kindergarten

2010-09-09T22:30:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I am staying up until 1am to do this post, but I figured this one was too important to delay. (I can't forget the highlights) We started out our morning with some Trix cereal and cartoons and around 8ish we drove down to the bus stop in front of eagle bluff. (Yesterday I almost had a heart attack, because I saw Vaughn coming down the hill with out an adult. In fact, Anne Hunt our neighbor was a little scared too - she pulled into the driveway before me. Apparently, after Tony picked up Vaughn he went over bus rules and how to walk to the bus stop rules. He forgot to mention it to me. I put him in the car and drove him up to the house. Then, I found out the reason he was down there and he promptly left the house to try again. The deck all the way down the hill. He was SO PROUD of himself for walking to the bus stop! He ran the whole way down the hill and back to practice - carefully looking for cars.) Once we were at the bus stop as you can see we eagerly anticipated the bus coming. Vaughn did a video camera interview and said he was the most excited to punch in his lunch code into the computer, meet new friends, and his backpack. While we waited, Vaughn was as cool as a kindergartener. Brock didn't know why we were hanging out near the road - he did not try to dodge traffic like I feared. Once the bus came, I had to quickly run Vaughn across the busy road to the bus. I had my camera around my neck and was able to take 2 quick shots before I had to run across the street. I must have looked a little silly! I thought I was going to cry when he got on the bus. When I got across the street, Brock was standing there with his bottom lip out crying. He kept asking where Vaughn go? I almost cried looking at him. Of course, there is video of this and pictures for me to take out when they are older and fight. Proof that they love each other! When Vaughn got home, I was working. I called him to get the update on his 1st day. He was a little chatterbox. (don't know where he gets that from :) He said that he got to his class room, met some new friends, and made some kind of hand print. Highlights of his day included - #1 being line leader, #2 remembering his lunch code after mommy for got to pack the practice piece of paper (we practiced), #3 going out on the big playground, #4 discovering that all kindergarteners are new to the class when they had to put name tags on the cots during nap time, #5 running out to the bus after school - he was 2nd on the bus. All and all it sounded like an exciting day - here are some pictures!

Vaughn's 5th birthday

2010-08-02T18:21:00.001-07:00

I don't know where the time has gone. It seems like summer is almost over..and it is. Vaughn starts kindergarten on Sept 9th, so we decided to go all out for his 5th birthday to celebrate with his acorn friends. We went to "Pump it Up" - an indoor jumpy castle place. I liked it because I didn't have to clean our house for a party and they pretty much did everything. Vaughn had 23 friends at the party and it was pretty much a crazy time. Vaughn worked the room like a champ. As you can see from the pictures he received many toys. He had many favorites - iron man car, match box cars, a razor scooter, more iron man cars. I think mommy's favorite was the beach blanket! He had a Batman Cake...which he helped pick out from Target. All of us had a great time!

Arrrgh....pirate vaughn

2010-05-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

After brunch today, even though a nap sounded good we decided to play pirates! Vaughn was very excited to find a pirate box in his closet that he had forgotten about. He insisted on wearing all of the pirate stuff for a few hours. I asked him if having the eye patch on was bothering him and he said no that he could see fine. I think it was one of the 1st times that he really played with the pirate playset that had a toy boat and small plastic pirate men. He said that they were good pirates and they were fighting the bad guys (the lego indiana jones characters) He had treasure and men getting shot with a tranquilzer gun. Fun times! * note the parrot he had stuck in the neck of his shirt!

mother's day 2010

2010-05-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day this year was great! Vaughn made bath salts in school for me....he mixed in the colored bath salts into the jar. Brock made me a card with our photo on it and a pot full of grass (the kind in the yard :) with a footprint on a piece of paper stuck in the pot with a tougue depresser. The best present of all was being able to enjoy brunch with my boys and family! As you can see by the pictures we were all happy! It was great to have Dan, Val and Eric join us! Brock and Vaughn even behaved the whole time during brunch...minus the time at the end when Vaughn put his matchbox car into the water glass (he thought it was one of the matchbox cars that had the changing paint color when it got wet)

brocker.....what are you up to

2010-05-10T20:37:00.001-07:00

Brock, Vaughn and I were hanging out in the living room a few weeks ago. I was reading the paper, but got up to get the camera ( I just had a feeling) Well, as you can see Brock gave me his "i am doing something I know I am not supposed to do face" He would jump up and down on the sofa and then I would say "brocker" and he would give me this look. Not to be out done Vaughn had to give me his best model look too.

A visit from II

2010-04-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

II came for a visit on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. (i have to laugh that the 1st think I can think about is we had steak for dinner Thursday and homemade french toast on Friday morning!) In any case, it was really warm out and the boys had fun playing with their trains in the porch. Poor Vaughn, Brock was insisted that the door from the porch to the kitchen remain shut at all times. It gave II and me a laugh, because he would be in the middle of the porch and run frantically to close it. Thank goodness not on his fingers...not to say it wasn't close a few times. Vaughn had learned how to make "library books" this week in school. He and II had a good time drawing buildings, trees, stoplights, birds you name it on a piece of paper to tell a good story. Vaughn (and II) certainly have active imaginations!

Both Vaughn and Brock enjoyed looking at their old baby pictures too! (so did mommy...hard to believe they are so big)

I love you Cousin...give me a hug....i'm a vampire!

2010-04-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter. I went to church and then we went to brunch at my all time favorite place....Signature Cafe! Afterwards, we went to the witches tower to take pictures. Luke apparently needed more to eat and his cousin looked like the best snack! :) I can't believe he didn't want to have the french toast. (sidenote - Brock refused to try the french toast - makes no sense since he has a french toast muffin everyday) Watch out Brocker........

Brocker the tough guy

2010-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

This week I got a call from childcare about Brock...the 1st of many I am sure! The day before the call I was talking to his teacher and she said that he was taking off his socks and shoes alot. I thought it must be time for new shoes. We looked at his size 6 and discovered they were too small. We had some 7 1/2 that looked like they would work for him. The next day I spoke to his teacher and he had tripped on the playground and hit his cheek. After a little TLC and ice (chich I guess he was more upset about the ice than the bruise - sounds like Brock) he took his nap and woke up with a black eye. It doesn't seem to slow him down at all...it just looks awful - just in time for Easter pictures! :)

brocker and the animals continued....

2010-03-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

brocker and his love of stuffed animals and elmo

2010-03-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Tonight while making dinner I started hearing Brocker jumping up and down on something. Background - the last few weeks Brock has started being attached to Elmo and his stuffed animals. Every morning when he gets up he has to have all of the stuffed animals (ie. piggy, tigger, small tigger, baby elmo, big (as big as Brock) Elmo, teddy bear #1, and teddy bear #2) as well as all of his blankets (at least 4 of them) out of his crib before he will even think of getting out! He tries to eat with his blanket (doesn't really matter which one) and will give me hugs only when I give Elmo hugs 1st (a jealousy thing?) In any case, as the pictures clearly document there is a love/wrestle relationship there. By the way, once Brock saw Vaughn's bike in the sun porch Elmo and Piggy were history. You can see he opened up the door by himself and tried to climb on. Yikes!

Vaughn and his daredevil brother

2010-03-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well, Brocker is sure fearless. Vaughn is really excited about riding his bike this spring. It seems like the best place to ride it on a flat surface is our deck. After Brock saw Vaughn ride it and turn! for a while he decided it was time to climb on. As the pictures show it was hard for Brocker to find the petals and to get off the big boy bike.

French Toast Muffins!

2010-03-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

Brocker is addicted to french toast muffins at Caribou Coffee. It is kind of my fault....I get coffee every morning and have given into the "fast breakfast" in the morning. It doesn't do my car any favors! This Sunday, I wanted to get the Sunday paper and the only place to go without getting out of the car is Caribou, so of course I had to get the muffin. If I don't get it in the morning and drive past Brock cries. When we are in the drivethru line he yells at the cars to "go go" if we have to wait. He has now started to clap his hands too. Vaughn get the top of the muffin and Brocker get the bottom (I thought the bottom might be less messy?)

Vaughn has a name badge just in case he forgets

2010-03-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Dan and Val watched the boys overnight (which was awesome and a big treat to sleep in!) When I went to pick them up on Sunday, they had name badges on. They were funny and Vaughn refused to take it off even when we went to get breakfast! Dan gave them nicknames (I think they could use them in their future as WWE wrestlers!) Vaughn was "Vaughn the prawn" and I think Brock was "Brock the Rock - maybe" I can't remember that one. Here are some pictures :)

Cupcake icecream cones yum

2010-03-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Good thing Nana does the baking and all of it stays at her house! :)

Look Nana no windows!

2010-03-06T08:43:00.001-08:00

Vaughn getting Brock to do his dirty work

2010-03-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

Last night Vaughn wanted yogurt from the grocery store. He begged for it. Unfortunately, the Danimal crush cup and yogurt drink or "monkey yogurt drink" was too expensive for mommy. I opted for another kids yogurt that was on sale. When we got home, Vaughn was crazy for the yogurt, but then he tasted it. Apparently, it was yucky and had worms in it. He didn't want to eat it. We made a deal...no treat until he ate his yogurt (which is a big deal since Vaughn has treats every night) This morning, Vaughn woke up at 8ish and declared he wanted to make Brownies (I think he is going through withdrawal from McNana's kitchen where he made cupcake ice cream cones and chocolate chip cookies all in one morning) I let Vaughn make the brownies...which was funny, because Brocker wanted to help too. Brock got his spatula into the brownie batter and proceeded to get it all over his face as well as banging the measuring cups on the counter (oops one still had vegetable oil remains in it. Before he could have his brownies, Vaughn had to eat his yogurt. As you can see he used his power of persuasion to get Brock to do his dirty work and eat most of his yucky yogurt. (I don't think Brock minded too much) By the way, I tried to put pants on Brock this morning. Getting the shirt of him was battle enough, so I just gave up on the pants. I guess you have to pick your battles!

Look what Brock learned in ND! Friday night dancing!

2010-03-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

When I was up in ND with Brock and Vaughn this week they learned a very dangerous thing.....jumping on Nana & II's bed. It seems that the behavior Brock learned has somehow made its way back to Minnetrista. As you can see by the poor video, wrestling turns into a celebration dance-jump on our couch. That couch has been so abused lately...between juice spills, jumping, and wrestling on cushions it definitely takes a beating!

Brocker and his blanket

2010-03-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

Brock is very possessive of blankets. He has at least 3 in his crib at all times. Yesterday, when I was taking him to daycare he cried because I wouldn't let him drag his blanket on the ground. He is I guess what you could say a modern day Linus. It doesn't matter what if it is his baby blanket or if it is a fuzzy throw blanket - if he wants it he grabs on and doesn't let go until he has it. I have been a victim many times to Brock swiping a blanket I have had on me. Here is a picture...You can see his grip on the blanket - usually the grab is followed with a "Nooooooooo" :)

Daredevil Brock - what's next

2010-02-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

This morning we took out a ladder to dust the fan. (it was extremely dusty..can't remember dusting it since we moved in 3 years or so ago) While setting up the ladder, when I turned around Brock had already made his way up the ladder no problem. I thought - lucky boy - do you know how to get down Well, he showed me!

Brocker & Vaughn Jan 2010

2010-02-01T18:33:00.001-08:00

Brock....exhausting

2010-02-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

Brock is the most curious kid ever. He wears me out. This weekend he climbed up on a chair next to our table and saw that Vaughn had left out the markers. Naturally, you would think he wouldn't know how to open the markers, but no not Brock. I turned my head and saw him pulling off the cap of the marker and then drawing on the plastic placemat. I gave him a piece of paper instead and he drew like it was no big deal.

Brock and his tummy

2010-01-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

Brock has a funny way of showing off his tummy. Words just can't do it justice.....so I guess the video will help.

Thank you for the birthday present Aunt Karla!

2009-09-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

We arrived home today with a big box on our doorstep. It was Brock's birthday present! As you can see he liked it right away. I didn't even have the handle on it and he was trying to ride it. He also has had a liking to spoons lately. He wouldn't take it out of his hand. Actually, now that I think about it he has left 2 spoons at daycare the last 2 mornings because he would freak out if I tried to take it away.

Brocker's 1st birthday

2009-08-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Brock's 1st birthday today. Since it has been a very long week, we decided that a small family party would be the best option. We invited Nana, II, Lukie, Riley, Karla, Dan, Val & Dan. The morning started out with a blow out - literally. Tony, II and I were downstairs in the kitchen and all of a sudden a naked Vaughn yells from upstairs that Brock pooped in the tub. I ran up stairs to find Nana wiping off the birthday boy. I ended up washing him in the shower while Nana scooped up poop and flushed it down the toilet. Vaughn and I then went to Target to get a cake for Brock. I am usually more on top of ordering the cake, but didn't have time this week. We ended up getting a chocolate sheet cake and bought candles for the top. Vaughn picked it out and insisted on putting the candles on himself. It could have set the whole house on fire - someone asked if the candles represented the #of months old he is. I ended up ordering pizza for dinner and then we opened his presents. At 1 , you don't really need much. Tony and I gave him a giant Tigger the tiger stuffed animal, a soft bert and ernie ball and an elmo bubble machine. He was also given college fund money. When it came time for the cake, Brock showed he had nice table manners. He was so clean about the whole thing at 1st. He also had his 1st cow's milk today. He sucked it down more than the cake. Tony thought it was because he was super thirsty from the frosting. Vaughn and Luke enjoyed the cake too. They were busy screaming around the house getting chased by Brock and me, jumping in the jumpy castle, and singing happy birthday while Lukie played the guitar. Brock has a funny way of looking at us funny - a little pissed off and a little annoyed. :)

By the way - the day before - his real birthday - Tony kept up the playing hooky tradition and took the boys to Edinbourgh indoor park. Apparently, it is a giant McDonalds climbing playground. Vaughn lucked out too - he got to go to McDonalds while Tony and he waited for Brock to wake up from his nap. Vaughn also "camped" in the porch with II. He is completely into camping right now.

Fun times on the lake

2009-08-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

Tony, the boys & I have really enjoyed our time on the lake this summer. Here are some pictures of swimming fun at boy scout island. Unfortunately, it was super buggy that day. Brock enjoys being in his "cage" watching boats of the "tuna" boat. He is pretty stable and has sea legs. Another thing I have learned is both of the boys are addicted to raspberries.

Brocker's 1st hair cut

2009-08-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Since it was a beautiful day, we decided to get the boy's haircut. :) Brock did not move at all! He was a pro. They even were able to use the clippers around his ears. He looks like a little toddler now. :( Vaughn too loves to get his haircut. I don't know if it is the movies or suckers at kids hair that makes them sit so still.

And were off!

2009-08-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

The best word to describe Brock theses days is "determined". He is determined to get into every cabinet, over every person while wrestling, and determined to climb up our stairs. One might say - "didn't you baby proof the house a long time ago with Vaughn" - actually no - he didn't move. Now, we are blessed with a mover and shaker. Last weekend, I went up to the top of the stairs to get Brock at least a dozen times. We had been planning on putting the second gate at the bottom of the stairs, but now I am scared. If we did, he would stand and shake it and cry until we opened it. In any case, I guess we just have to be careful he doesn't get wild ideas of climbing through the stairs or getting to the top and shaking the gate until it releases and he falls down the stairs. He has already gotten to the top and stood to shake the gate (see picture evidence). This week he starts to climb the stairs, gets 1/2 way and looks for us - then he sees us coming and books it up the stairs. I guess I will lose weight with the exercise! :)

Summer Fun!

2009-08-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures a few weeks ago. We had been out on the boat at the island swimming. Tony has a pontoon boat or "tuna" boat as Vaughn calls it and it is great for swimming.

Carver County Fair!

2009-08-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

It is hard believe that it is already time for the Carver County Fair. Last year, I was pregnant with Brock and this year he is already in 18 month clothes! We started our outing by eating of course. Mini Doughnuts for mom, a banana strawberry smoothie for Vaughn, cheerios for Brock, and Brat for Dad. Vaughn had a great time going in the bounce castle, the truck ride, slide, and dizzy dragon ride. Rachel, Cade and Jim joined up with us for the alligator show and demolition derby. Tony, Jim and the boys were excited to go. Even baby Brock was jumping up and down. It was loud. Louder than we all thought and dirtier than I thought (we were in the front row and the mud went through the gate)- we were only good for 1 battle. I guess it was $8 x4 adults down the drain. Other notable notes - Vaughn went on a pony ride ( Cade didn't he thought it was too smelly)and we got a cariature (spelling?) done (Vaughn, Mommy, & Brock). The day at the fair was a total of 6 hours and I don't know where the time has gone.

New teeth

2009-07-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

Brock is getting his 2 top teeth this week ish - I think it might have started last week, but they are popping through now. More pictures from last weekend.

Vaughn off to North Dakota

2009-07-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

This week has turned out to be a true vacation for Vaughn. As you can see by the picture Vaughn found his cowboy necklace, cowboy hat, and cowboy shirt for a little work at the farm. Nana rode with Mommy & Vaughn up to ND on Sunday. Of course, we stopped at McDonalds on the way (I wonder how long it has been for Nana to eat a McDonalds) On Monday, Nana had to go to work and so did mommy - so Vaughn and II went to the farm. Apparently, Vaughn makes quite the farmer. He ate beans fresh from the field (organic as my II reminds me:) and played on a giant dirt pile in front of the new morton building. I am happy I wasn't the one to give him a shower later. Then, Vaughn had a chance to celebrate Avery's birthday and played on the neighbors trampoline. He tried to jump and everytime he said "mommy - watch me watch me I am doing a monkey jump" then the next time it was "mommy-watch me do a camel jump" I couldn't tell them apart. When we finally, got back from the neighbors and I told Vaughn it was time for bed he declared "I didn't get to do anything today - I didn't watch TV" Tuesday, mommy went to Bismarck and when I came back I was informed the tent was up in the backyard and that Vaughn was going camping with II. II is smart - he is camping with an airmattress. Vaughn wanted to have hot chocolate with marshmellows - it was in the 60s so kind of cold, but not hot chocolate weather. After a while, I went in to sleep and the boys told stories. Wednesday was another trip to the farm to check on the cement pouring for the floor. Highlight of the trip was Vaughn making roads in II's garden with his giant yellow truck. Vaughn also got a ride on the tailgate of the pickup and drove the tractor. I left to go back home on Wednesday, but continued to call for updates. Will report more later.

Brocker and his new cup

2009-07-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

Brock has learned to drink water out of a cup. Actually, I just gave in to him and let him do it. The good part is he is on his way to saying "goodbye" to the bottle. The bad part is he hasn't figured out that the water shouldn't go down your shirt. From the looks of the picture he doesn't seem to mind a little wet t-shirt contest. :)

vaughn - off to work

2009-07-23T20:41:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago Vaughn saw Tony wearing his tie and decided he needed to wear one like daddy. This morning it happened again. Instead of fighting it we put the clip on tie and sent him off to "the office". I fully expected it to be gone when I picked him up - boy was I wrong. Is this a little strange or a completely normal reaction to 2 work crazed parents?

Brocker - getting teeth

2009-07-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while Brock was eating I couldn't resist getting the camera for these pictures. He has 2 bottom teeth and is currently getting a top tooth too. Where did all his chins come from - his thighs? :)

Vaughn practicing for the ladies.

2009-07-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

Vaughn is a very sensitive guy. He likes to hug and give kisses. He is also wise. I went shopping today for some shoes and found 4 pair. ( 4 pair too many) Unlike his dad he, watched me put on each pair and said with enthusiasm "I love them, they are my favorite" He even went as far as to ask if I needed his help taking off my sandals. If he keeps this up he will make his wife happy someday.

Fruit Bars

2009-07-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Vaughn is addicted not to chocolate or soda - nope not him - fruit bars for this addict. Every night he wants one before bed. I guess I could look on the bright side at least there is a little bit of fruit juice in each bar (and lots of sugar :)

Watermelon....Baby

2009-07-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight Brock almost finished a whole watermelon. I am serious! I couldn't keep up to him cutting. He just kept eating and eating and grunting and grunting for more. Guess it comes from my side of the family. I think it is his favorite food.

Vaughn "thats a good idea"

2009-07-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Lately, Vaughn has tried to persuade Tony and me by saying "I have a great idea" and then proceeding to tell us how he wants a fruit bar or to go somewhere. After he makes his initial pitch, he follows it up with "that's a good idea". I think I should start using it in my sales pitch, because it most often leads to a compromise.

Brock on the move!

2009-07-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

It only took a week. I need to go back a bit. On Fathers day at my sister's house he started to crawl. Then is was a combination of the butt scoot and crawling. This past week the floodgates opened up. Brock pulled himself up on Monday night on his activity table. Then he repeated his performance the next night while waiting for his bath by climbing up the stairs. Now he is standing in his crib and tonight he stood in the boat while in his pack and play through the waves. He also decided he needed to move. We put him behind his walker and he actually took some steps. He is such a determined little guy. He is obsessed with the gold knobs in our bath tub. Tonight when Tony and I gave the boys a bath Brock proceeded to crawl over Vaughn to get to them. Tony and I commented he isn't afraid of going under. He is also going up a few stairs at a time. Time for the baby gates. :) Pictures soon!

Vaughn's Birthday Continued

2009-06-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

The birthday week continues. Vaughn brought fruit bars and licorice to his friend and teachers childcare this week. He loves Edy's fruit bars.

On Friday, Nana and II came and picked up Vaughn at childcare and took him to the playground. That morning, I came upstairs and Vaughn was telling Tony what his day was going to look like. He said - " I am going to childcare then we will eat lunch and then Nanna and II are coming to pick me up" I told him he need to call them to see if they would do that. When they picked him up he was napping - apparently so hard that he was drooling and didn't know if he was dreaming or not. Then they went to the playground. That night, Vaughn got his birthday gift from Nanna and II. My mom gave him her mom's rock collection. It is in a cabinet with lights. She has agates and other rocks she found in fields that look like items - like steak rocks and doughnut rocks. He was very excited to put them in the cabinet.

pony boy

2009-06-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

II has a song that he likes to sing for the boys. He will also put the boys on his knee to bounce them up and down like they are on a horse. Here are some pics.

vaughn's 4th birthday

2009-06-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

Vaughn had a birthday week and I am very happy he had a great time. It started off with daddy coming home on 6/1 and telling me that he was going to take Vaughn camping at Carver Park - at around 7pm. They ended up leaving around 8pm and Vaughn was pumped up to go! Tony took the next day off from work - a first! I called for an update and they watched a movie in the tent. Apparently, the bugs were pretty bad and it has been so dry here lately that a campfire wouldn't have been a good idea. The next day I called Tony fully expecting him to say his back was sore, but he said the inflatable mat worked just fine. In the background I heard screaming and he told me Vaughn had decided to join a little boy named George in the lake. Vaughn stared out wading in the water and ended up in 60 degree water in his underwear screaming and having a good time. Then, they went to the campground playground. After that they went home to clean up the sand - I got to clean the sandy clothes later that day! They went to the movies (the movie -up) and had two sugar drinks, gummy worms and popcorn. Then, they went to get an ice cream cake at Dairy Queen - a motorcycle cake - (see picture) I think they got a purple mister misty too - I got to clean up the glasses! Then, they went to the Arboretum to see the sea monster, go through the maze, see the little houses, and to see the fish in the pond. I am a little exhaused just typing this! It is not over yet - ( Tony told me this is the longest day he has had since he was in elementary school) Then, we invited Papa, Grandma, Ja Ja, and Eric (our neighbor) over for presents and ice cream cake. Vaughn insisted on using the candles we used for II's birthday as well as putting colored sugar on his piece. Now to the present - Vaughn watches way too much TV (or Vaughn TV as he called cartoons) he kept seeing an ad for Dinosaur Trick Tracks Hot Wheels track (he likes to call it dinosaur track trax) Tony and I ended up giving into the genius marketing. When asked what he wanted for the month before his birthday he said "dinosaur track trax". Enjoy the pics!

memorial day 2009

2009-05-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

We had a good weekend at the hessburg home. Brock was getting over the twice a day explosive poop when dad got the 1 day flu! Then we ended our weekend with a trip to urgent care (3hours roundtrip) for potential pink eye (brock)! Thank goodness for medical insurance! In between, we found time to go to the arboretum. We had a great time looking at flowers and fish. Vaughn insisted on wearing his flip flops and he ended up falling 2 times. Other highlights of the weekend include - Brock scooting everywhere on his butt, Vaughn trying to fly his 1st kite, and Brock holding his own bottle while laying down. Still not much sleep around here - Brock woke up last night fussy at 1:30 am and then at 5 am! 2nd night in a row! Here are some pictures!

brocker the webble wobble !

2009-05-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

Last week Brock learned how to do a complete sit-up. His abs are steel. Anyone who has seen him knows he does a pilates hundred (legs up and head up at the same time) all the time! Since he has been sitting up on his own changing his diaper has become more of a challenge. I try to get him to lay down and he pops right back up. When he gets really angry he slams his legs down at the same time (again the lower ab strength!). He is such a funny guy. He has also started to scoot around. He likes to try and grab any type of belt or scoot his way to the gold metal on our shower door. He also likes to grab the baby lotion bottle. He has also recognized that there is a funny baby in the mirror. Tonight when I was attempting to change his diaper he wanted to sit up and have a conversation with the baby. So far his words have been "Ba Ba"and"Ma Ma" Usually the Ma Ma is said when he is hungry and wants food. :)

vaughn and the word police!

2009-05-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Vaughn has a tendency to tell you when you say "Naughty Words". It works out pretty well, except when he decides to tell you what he think is a naughty word. The other day coming back from daycare I said to him "pardon me" and he said "mommy don't say naughty words" Huh? He then proceeded to tell me "Mommy - you can't say fart on me" :)

Brocker and his new attitude!

2009-05-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

My baby Brocker has started to show his independent streak. It was bound to happen. He has started to scoot his but around in circles to get what he wants. Sometimes it is the lotion bottle after his bath, sometimes the tv remote, and sometimes it is mommy's cell phone - the only bad thing is he cries when you try to give him something else. I guess he is a baby who knows what he wants! I wouldn't be surprised if he started crawling soon. His hair has also an independence streak too! It stands straight up in the middle.

Coffee is a beautiful thing!

2009-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

Thank God for coffee! I love it. Vaughn knows that mommy like to have her large 1/2 caf with light roast and a little bit of cream. He can tell the coffee lady my order in a pinch. This week mommy went full caf! I am done nursing! 8 months and a few days! In any case, the end came because of Brocker's 4th double ear infection. I think we are on our way to ear tubes! So far so good with Brock tonight - 2nd night of sleep after starting meds!

ear infections!

2009-04-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

I am going to keep a tally. Brock has had 3 double ear infections and he is almost 8 months old. At this rate he might beat Vaughn. I do have to pat myself on the back though - I can always tell they are getting ear infections. In fact, I usually take them into the doctor 2 days before they actually have the full blown infection. Example - took brock into dr on monday and today he had a 104 temp and double ear infection (even while on an antibiotic!) Someday they will both be super immune from all colds and bugs! Tony and I both agree Brock takes after Tony while sick - he doesn't handle it as well as vaughn and mommy. He kept us up all night long. I tried to nurse him, put him on our bed, rock him and finally I ended up putting him back in his crib. The only thing that calmed him down was Chris Cornell. He ended up falling asleep on the bathroom floor. :)

vaughn april 2009

2009-04-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Vaughn has been busy too.
Highlights include -

Vaughn learning about growing plants at acorns and later that week decides to put the sprayer in the shower on his "peanuts" to "make them grow like daddy's"
He likes to tattle on everyone!
He likes to follow rules.

brocker 8 months

2009-04-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

brock is such a funny baby! Highlights include -

22lbs today at dr.
3rd antibotic!
He likes to grab anything that is not a baby toy - especially tv remotes. When you try to take them away he cries (that is the only time he usually crys)
He is a very laid back baby. One day he will wind up and punch Vaughn when he pokes at him.
He laughs when Tony teases me. I guess he is a quick study.
He is almost able to do a sit-up by himself. He has been training for this for quite a while. He does more pilates moves than I do - legs up head up and hold!
He likes his exersaucer and will poop like clockwork when you put him in it.
He is extremely ticklish.
I think we just stopped swaddling him. We will see if he sleeps all night. If not, it is back to the baby yarn prison.

easter 2009

2009-04-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Vaughn and Brock had a great easter! Highlights included visits from my cousin Brent, his wife Lori and their kids Zack and Brooke and Nana & II. I have been told to update the blog. I admit I have been lazy! Funny stories about Easter -

Our neighbor Berva came to with a chocolate rabbit to give to Vaughn (apparently the Easter Bunny left candy at her house for Vaughn :)) Vaughn asked if it was a treat - since he hadn't seen one before. He went onto go into the living room and took all the foil off and ate the chocolate ears before Tony found him.

We went to Papa's and Grandmas after to play with Campbell and look for easter eggs.

Time for some rice cereal!

2009-01-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight Brock had his 1st taste of rice cereal! He loved it. The only time he cried was when we were too slow to put more in his mouth! Vaughn was completely into having Brock eat until we actually got him in the highchair - then all Vaughn wanted to do was eat Tiger Cereal (or Frosted Flakes). I will try to post pictures or video soon of the event. I can't wait to see what he does when he has something that tastes good!

Yikes it is 2009!

2009-01-18T19:31:00.000-08:00

Oops! So much for keeping up with the blog! Maybe it can be my new years resolution! :) Boys update -

Vaughn -
He is starting to play more with his batman toys. He will start to make them do things and say things. Like - Get the naughty guy!

Last week at Acorns he learned about the dentist. On the way home from daycare he told me all of his teeth are going to fall out and then asked when it was going to happen. He sounded kind of scared and sad about the whole thing until I told him he would get adult teeth!

He is obsessed with holding Brock and talking baby talk to the baby. Thank God Brock is so easy going.

Brock -

He is still sleeping great! Usually down by 8 or 8:30pm and feeds around 4-5am. Not too bad! He is eating his hand all of the time. He must be teething.
He is reaching for things now - like my hair! He can hold his teething toys now too.
He likes the jumper and smiles super big when he gets to do his daily jumping.
He poops up his back in the bumbo chair every morning - never fails!
He is the best baby ever - happy and smiley.

Pictures of the kiddies

2008-12-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

Aunt Gina gave us the best present this year - a professional photo shoot! We took the pictures in November. We needed to document how chubby Brock is. Notable note - 12/27/08 - tony and I are afraid for Brock. We think his thighs have increased in size again! Pretty soon he won't fit in the bumbo chair! He is now sitting up for a while by himself and can stand with help. He needs to get moving soon, because he is in 9 month clothes at 4 months!

Christmas Program

2008-12-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

This is a little late, but here are pictures of the childcare christmas program. The kids and teachers put alot of time into this. During the 1st few songs, Vaughn and another little girl pointed to their daddys video recording the program. Vaughn would say "that's my daddy" and the little girl would point and say "no, that is my daddy". After the program, Vaughn gave us a private dance of his own in his costume. Papa, Grandma, Brock, Daddy and I all enjoyed the show.

christmas at the hessburgs

2008-12-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with the Hessburgs & friends last night. Vaughn and Campbell had a lot of fun running around with Aunt Ellie's christmas headband and getting lots of toys. Brock got a "bumbo" and like the fact he could sit-up and join in on the fun without doing sit-ups. His thighs are so big that he got stuck a few times when we tried to get him out. Vaughn got 2 batman airplanes - one from Mom & Dad & one from Campbell & Ellie. Aunt Gina gave us beautiful pictures (which I still need to post from daddy's computer) Grandma & Papa gave Vaughn a spiderman, game, tinker toys, haunted house car thing, and a 2 headed dragon. They didn't lack for toys! Vaughn had a little problem understanding that Campbell wasn't getting all the presents before we left for Papa's and Grandma's. I had to wrap all of her clothes and dolls and he got a little jealous. A small whining/pout/tantrum before we left.

I like my tongue!

2008-12-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

Brock has found his tongue. He likes to look at us and stick it out. I guess that is what babies like to do? Brock has also started to reach out for things on his mobile - a few weeks ago I guess. I think he is teething too. Lots of drool!

where has the month gone? Surprise a post!

2008-12-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know where all the time has gone. Here is a small update as I will post a few different pictures and notable notes.

Brock is now in 6-9 month clothes. He is so chunky we have to put him in size 3 diapers because of his thighs! Yesterday, he rolled from his tummy to his back. He is also doing pilates moves while on his back - he will lift his head up all the way and his legs at the same time. More than mommy can do right now! :)

Vaughn has mastered the potty - finally! He now can run to pee when he needs to, but the pooping is still day by day. He can count to at least 20 and he knows his abc's pretty well. He got strep again last monday and had a ruptured ear drum. The urgent care knows us well. He is still into his batman airplane which he got yesterday. He likes puzzles and tinker toys too.

Thank God for Santa Claus! Christmas is early!

2008-11-20T19:49:00.001-08:00

I never thought it would happen. Potty training is going pretty well. He had 1 accident on the playground at school - poop & pee. No accidents at home. Today he was a gold star. When I picked him up he said "mommy & daddy are so happy" . I can thank santa claus for this! The only thing Vaughn can talk about lately is Santa. Santa will be so happy I did this and that - is what he will say. I am now using this to my advantage. "Santa is so proud of you when you use the potty" Every night he tells me that Santa is coming the next day. I then try to explain to him that it is Thanksgiving 1st then we need to get ready for Santa. (ie. Christmas tree, cookies, and going to see santa with lukie) All I want for Christmas is a potty trained 3 year old!

Vaughn's words

2008-11-17T21:21:00.000-08:00

Peanuts = penis

Claws = cards

Puppets = stuffed animals

:)

The day we never thought would come!

2008-11-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a parent teacher conference at Vaughn's school. One of his action items according to his teacher was he was ready to wear underwear. Huh - Tony and I were surprised. At home he refused to go. It has been 1 step back. After a weekend in ND with no signs of improvement this morning I decided it was time to jump in head 1st. "vaughn - your teacher told us you should wear underwear to school" I thought he was going to say "no diaper mommy" but he said o.k. I brought all the extra clothes - fully thinking he was going to be in the 3rd outfit by the end of the day. Somehow, when I went to pick him up he was still dry and in the same clothes! No accidents - (he did smell a little like pee - he hasn't mastered the "flick" to get the pee off his "peanuts".) I did try to get him to go before we went in the car - a teacher had to bribe him with a soccer ball sticker to go. The only close call we had was when Tony found him in the back of the living room - ready to poop. He still hasn't gone poop yet - hopefully not in the underwear! Stay tuned to day 2.

Elvis Radio

2008-11-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

I got a new company car a week or so ago. It has many new features - storage underneath the backseat floor, a cold storage above the glovebox, oh yes and satellite radio. One would have thought had a satellite radio long ago since I am in the car alot. I love it. It does however bring up questions of life and death. Conversation with Vaughn last week -

Vaughn - "I want Vaughn radio - not mommy radio"

Mommy - "O.K. Let's find Vaughn radio" (I am hoping to avoid the kiddie channel)

After a few channels - no love music or top 40 we find the all elvis channel.

Vaughn - "Stop mommy - I like Vaughn music"

Mommy - "Elvis?"

We proceed to discuss Elvis and somehow I tell Vaughn Elvis is dead. (Although it is still up for some debate - depending on who you talk to)

Vaughn - "How did Elvis die?"

Mommy - "Too many pills - he overdose"

Vaughn - "Where is Elvis now?"

Mommy - "Heaven"

Vaughn - "Like Ben the Cow" ( Vaughn's only association with death is the cow who died in the Barnyard Movie)

Mommy - "Yes Ben and Elvis are in Heaven"

Vaughn - "I want to go to heaven"

Mommy - "You can go to heaven someday - but a long time from now"

Then I proceed to explain how if you go to heaven you can't come back home.

Now just rewind what I just wrote and go over the conversation 10 more times for 2 days straight! :)

more pictures!

2008-11-16T13:32:00.000-08:00

Mommy & Brock!

When Babies attack!

north dakota vacation

2008-11-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

We have had alot of fun in North Dakota this past weekend. Mommy came up for work. The trip here was uneventful - McDonalds in Buffalo and movies. Unfortunately, we got two zebra toys and there were a few tears by Vaughn, because he wanted the penguin toy. Brock as always was a great baby. The only downside to the trip was mommy's breastpump decided to break that afternoon, so we had to go buy a new one. Needless to say, I was excited to get to ND.

Highlights of our trip include -

Brock's longest night between feedings - 8pm -5am!

Vaughn and mommy's trip to the mall to eat pretzels - (someone has too much energy, so we needed to get out of the house)

Tummy time with the brothers - see picture.

Brock still seems to be gaining weight even though he only eats 4oz every 3 or so hours. Usually, he cluster feeds in the evening and then will give us at least 5 or so hours of time.

Vaughn grew about 1 3/4 inches since June!

We still are struggling with diapers. Vaughn does not seem motivated by anything. Actually he has regressed! We are hopeful Lukie can help us convince Vaughn underwear are cool!

Now all we need is to have a good trip home!

Dan & Luke play hide the baby!

2008-11-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

Vaughn & Luke played Sunday afternoon while we went to Aunt Mary's 80th birthday party. Brock had a meltdown the whole time. When we returned to Dan & Karla's we took some pictures.
The baby is in most the pictures - Can you find one where Dan and Luke played "hide the baby"?

The last boat ride of the season

2008-11-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

We went out on the boat for a quick afternoon ride with John Graham, Rebecca & Leo. Here are a few pictures from the trip.
Brock has II's dimple!

visit from Amy & Julie

2008-11-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Brock & Vaughn had some girls stop by on Sunday ! They are starting young! Amy & Julie stopped by for a quick visit. They were in awe of Brock's thighs!

halloween - SCARY!

2008-11-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

Last halloween Vaughn had a tramatic experience at our neighbor Sue's house. He was a little scared of a moving skeleton that was the same height as our 2 year old. He promised Sue that this year he wouldn't be scared. Well - he wasn't scared at Sue's house this year! No, this year it was Roy & Carla's house :) He reached in to get the king sized snickers out of the bowl and a motion scensored skeleton hand came out to grab him. He proceeded to say their house was scary and ran to the end of the driveway! Then we went to Eric & Lisa's house. Lisa had gotten special treats for him - 3 king sized candy bars! She even got him a toy bat to match his costume,but after the skeleton hand he was a little scared still. We didn't get to too many houses. Brock was Batman's evil penguin. He hated his costume. He was fussy for the 1st two houses. We then went home and he had a snack and then we put him in the stroller. That seemed to do the trick. The night ended with Mommy & Daddy enjoying some wine with Eric & Lisa. We did get 1 trick or treater at 11pm. Mommy didn't think that was too strange at the time - he was wearing a cape.

Back to work

2008-11-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Mommy's 1st day back to work was last Wednesday. So far, Brock has charmed all of the lady teachers in his room (it must be his long eye lashes). Vaughn thinks it is pretty cool to go to the baby room to drop off Brock in the morning. Brock has yet to master the bottle on the weekend- he prefers the real thing.

fun pictures

2008-10-27T13:46:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody!

My cousin is so cool!

vaughn - october 2008

2008-10-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have started to use reverse psychology with Vaughn when it comes to potty training. I have told him I am going to stop asking about going potty and just change his diaper. It has seemed to work. He says no and then he goes to the toilet and takes off his pants and diaper and goes. Now if I could just have him go without suggesting it.

He is now into 5T and is getting taller and taller. Some of the funny things he has been saying lately have been - "I'm not so happy with you right now mommy" or at bedtime saying " I'm sorry I was cranky - I was just tired". Tony took him to the Haunted Trolley in Excelsior on Friday. He wore his batman costume and wasn't too scared. Apparently, a man jumped out of a closet to scare him and all he said was "don't do that again".

He continues to be a great big brother. The only problem is he tries to hug Brock and ends up smothering him. Brock gets this look on his face like "give me my space" Vaughn means well and I make sure the "babe" doesn't get hurt.

Cousins

2008-10-27T13:32:00.001-07:00

Hug or wrestling move - you decide. When I asked the boys to pose for nanna this is what they did a few weeks ago.

brock - October 08

2008-10-27T13:18:00.001-07:00

Brock has had a very active October. He has gained 2/12 lbs in less than 3 weeks. Today he is 14 lbs 10oz and 25 inches long. He smiles all the time and his active time is late morning early afternoon. He like to have quiet time and gets fussy when there is alot of noise or disruptions. He is extremely strong and can lift his head up. He like to sleep on his side too. His smile is funny and usually he tends to squint one eye and lift up one side of his mouth. He is starting to sleep now 4 to 5 hours at a time a night.

who you calling chubby!

2008-10-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to see just how "healthy" Brock has become. I thought I was a human pacifier, but now that I see these pictures I know it is the truth! You be the judge.

orange juice or crack you decide!

2008-10-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

I am getting used to using the camera video option. Unfortunately, you have to turn your head sideways this time. Tony and I have a theory Vaughn gets hyper from orange juice - it looks like the suggestion of having orange juice does it too!

sweet revenge!

2008-10-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

As a younger sister I yearned for the day to get my sweet revenge on my sister. It could have been the years of being sat on and told to "kiss the floor" (even in junior high) or the years of being teased about "Beth's mashed potatoes". I love my nephew Lukie. If he continues to give me material like this it will be easy to tease my older sister like she teased me. By the way - he wanted to eat the gravel and of course after a few bites II & I made him spit it out. We can't afford to send him to the dentist - of course they are only his baby teeth - he will get a new set some day. :)

pictures!

2008-10-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

I think Vaughn might rip off ii's head!

more pictures

2008-10-16T15:09:00.001-07:00

pictures - finally!

2008-10-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

It is hard to post pictures for me, because Tony thinks our home computer can't handle such big files. I need to learn how to put them in our back-up storage soon. Here are some pictures from Nana's camera.

Hooray for Happy Meals!

2008-10-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night after a fun trip to Lukie's house it happened. Vaughn, Brock and I had loads of fun visiting Nana & II at Karla's. When ever Vaughn is at Lukie's house he and Luke become obsessed with the potty chair. Lucky for Karla, Luke is the younger more impressionable one! :) We left Lukie's house and needed to eat. I hate to cook, so I thought McDonald's was the healthiest option. For those of you who don't know the happy meal toy now is the 6 hot wheel cars. On the way home I told Vaughn - do you know when you need to poop? We discussed what it felt like and I asked him if he thought he could go when we got home. He agreed for the car that he would go poop in the potty. When we got home, he ran inside and found Tony who put him on the chair and the rest is history. If anyone would like to record the date it was October 12th in the PM.

vacation destination - north dakota?

2008-10-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Brock has now successfully made his 1st trip to Nana & ii's house in ND. It was an uneventful trip :) I picked up Vaughn from daycare and we made it to Monticello to McDonalds. Vaughn is all about the car toy with the happy meal (another blog entry to follow with details). My attempts to give Brock a bottle in McDonalds went up in flames. Apparently, it is funny to laugh at you Mom when she tries to give you a bottle when you are a breastfed baby. He kept looking up at me an smiled when the nipple was in his mouth like he was saying - "Mom I am smarter than this - give me the good stuff" In preparation for a long trip to McDonalds I bought Vaughn a sundae which I thought he might share with me. The Danielson food gene has won again. I have successfully passed down the gene to be possessive of food to Vaughn. He downed the whole sundae himself and then went looking for my fries. So, far our trip to ND has been o.k. Brock is fussy. I think he is getting used to the new enviroment. Vaughn and Nana played outside today. They took the wagon out to the sandpile (volleyball court) and left their friend there to play in the wagon. Oh, didn't you hear the scream from ND? Nana found a mouse in the wagon who had been making his new home in a blanket. Now it is II's turn to get the mouse out of the wagon. Many pictures to post soon to detail our trip.

Fort Making

2008-10-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Vaughn has become obsessed with making forts. Lucky for him we have alot of cushions on our couches. He like to make "spaceships". His spaceships will go to Canada, minneapolis, and the zoo. He and Tony will make them on our porch too. On another note, this morning was the 1st morning that Vaughn woke me up and said I need to use the potty! Maybe we are making a breakthrough! I was beginning to lose hope on becoming potty trained. Last night we visited Luke, Aunt Karla and Uncle Dan and it seems to me that when he gets around Luke the potty chair is the cool thing to talk about. Last night, Dan got up to the bathroom and Vaughn already had his pants and diaper off. I think that if you can take your diaper off and put your pants back on it might be time to retire the diaper! One can only hope!

smiling!

2008-10-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

I can't remember if I had written this one or not, but Brock has been smiling alot lately. It started about a week or so ago. I think he even has a small dimple too. We went to the doctor a few days ago to get a weight check - for Brock and Mommy! I had my follow-up appt and have lost 26lbs! Apparently, Brock is taking them all away! He has gained 4lbs in 1 month! He went from 8lbs 10 oz to 12lb 10 oz. I thought the carrier was getting heavy!

vaughn 9/08

2008-10-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

Vaughn has been totally into batman this month. Tony and I don't know how this happened. He only saw an ad on "vaughn TV". He asks where batman lives and tells us he gets the naughty guys. When asked what he wants to be for halloween he has told me he wants to be batman and mommy can be spiderman.

Tony has decided it is funny to get Vaughn to call me Momma. I don't think it is very funny, but now it has gotten worse. Now I am momma bethy. Nice.

Vaughn has become a true danielson. One night I asked Tony to get me a piece of chocolate. To my dismay he took a piece of the bar off. I thought he was going to eat it, but he gave it to Vaughn. Then he said "what do you say to mommy for sharing" (expecting to hear "thank you") Vaughn then told both of us "I want my own":)

brock - month 1

2008-10-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

I figure it might be easier to blog monthly for updates.
Brock has been a pretty laid back baby. He eats almost every 3 hours. I think the longest he has gone was 4 1/2 hours after a boat ride. Mom is very tired and dad is still sleeping on Vaughn's top bunk. Vaughn has been an excellent big brother. He has mastered helping burping the "babe" and kisses him every day. I am sure that won't last. Brock is smiling now at me, but I think he smiled at Vaughn 1st. He is like to toot. His hair is still long in the back and it kind of looks like an old man who doesn't have hair in the front and lots in the back. He likes the swing and sometimes I feel guilty letting him swing too long. I am starting to get used to his cries. He tends to wake himself up farting and then goes back to sleep. He is out of newborn clothes now - too long.

Arboretum

2008-09-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today I had both boys home with me. Last Friday was a long day. Grandma Val saved mommy by going with us to the arboretum. It was a fun trip except for the end. Vaughn wanted to go to the tree house. There are a few wood play houses for kids there. He was having a good time - until he slammed all of his finger tips in the door of the play house. When it rains it pours - I was feeding Brock. Needless to say it was a long drive home of crying boys. One was hungry and one had red fingers. We got home and Vaughn was happy to get an ice pack and Brock had cried himself to sleep.

Were BACK!!!!

2008-09-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand -

Here is an update -

Brock is our newest addition. He is not fussy. He eats like a little piggy - every 3 hours or so. I think the longest he has gone has been 4 1/2 hours. I can count on my hand how many time he has had a bottle ( do I sound sleep deprived?) I haven't had more than 2 1/2 hours of undisturbed sleep for a while. Brock makes the funniest sounds. He grunts all the time. Tony said he can't sleep because he is so noisy. Vaughn is adjusting well. He loves being a big brother and is nice to the baby. He like to hold him and wants to carry him. See attached pictures :) Vaughn may be watching too much "Vaughn TV" He also needs his mom to sleep next to him - at least his dad has been sleeping on the top bunk for a few weeks. The little milk piggy is waking up -

Dear Santa,

2007-12-30T20:07:00.001-08:00

All I want for Christmas is for my Mommy to update my blog page. I've been a very, very good boy...
Love, Vaughn

mommy & Vaughn - ROund and Round

2007-12-08T07:28:00.001-08:00

Vaughn and I have a game we play called round and round we go where we stop nobody knows! We count to 3 (although vaughn likes to start a 6 and go 6789) and spin around as fast as we can. Little does he know I always stop in front of Nanna's camera! Here are the results - not bad!

I love Ranch Dressing!

2007-12-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

For Vaughn everything tastes better with a little ranch dressing. He tried to drink it at the table and as you can see the ranch is on his forehead! He understands dunking the bread in ranch too!

Run, Run as fast as you can I won't give you my gingerbread man!

2007-12-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Vaughn and Nanna made cookies today. (one of their many favorite past times) As you can see by the pictures Vaughn enjoyed the cookies! He liked reading the story too!

more pics for Aunt Karla

2007-12-08T07:09:00.001-08:00

For Aunt Karla

2007-12-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

Surprise! You probably don't check the blog anymore, but if you do here is a treat! Remember the fun we had over Thanksgiving. Vaughn and Luke playing with hats. Luke pretending he is cowboy Tyrone. Then, Vaughn became a warrior with his stick. That is until Sammy decided to play fetch!

Vaughn & the missing gate

2007-11-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Tony and I took down the baby gate at the bottom of our stairs a few days ago. I was fun to ask Vaughn what was missing and when he figured it out he gasped! He has been very into his animals lately. He likes his donkey, Elephant (Mammoth), and bear. Yesterday we played cooking with mommy. When mommy was younger she could only dream of cooking as she was the "assistant cook" Peneolpe to Karla's julia child. :) Vaughn mixed chocolate chips in a pan with a spoon! Tasted great!

Vaughn and the doctor

2007-10-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well it happened again the other day. Vaughn had a cough. Tony thought it might be croup, because Campbell had it last week. We took Vaughn into the DR. Vaughn was wearing a windbreaker with sleeves that had elastic at the wrists. This normally wouldn't be a big deal except, when we took off his windbreaker Vaughn took one look at the indents in his wrist from the elastic and said "CUT". He proceeded to cry and cover up his wrist thinking he was extremely hurt. The doctor even got a good look at his ears without Vaughn moving. He of course has an ear infection. Then, the dr. wanted to give Vaughn a sticker. He cried and said "NOOOOO!" He thought it was medicine! The doctor then gave him a Thomas the train sticker and all was better.

night with mommy and II

2007-10-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Nana had bunko night tonight, so that meant II & Mommy were responsible for taking care of Vaughn! We had Red Lobster and Vaughn enjoyed the fine dining of croutons and ranch dressing. He especially liked the part about dunking the crouton in the dressing. Then, we had a whistling along. Mommy and II did a traditional whistle while Vaughn put his lips together like a whistle, but screamed instead of blowing air. I will try to get pic or video. very funny. We then were treated to a Vaughn attack (as II calls it) of wrestling! It lasted an hour. I don't understand boys and wrestling. Then, II got bored and we went in to the kitchen to watch baseball and eat ice cream. Vaughn get pretty much any kind of food he wants in ND. Time for bed. Vaughn sat and talked to himself for an hour after reading the BO BO book with II>

more pics from up north

2007-10-14T20:49:00.001-07:00