{Last Day of Soccer}

A few Thursdays back was Luke's last day of soccer.  I am not too sad as the summer league starts in just a week or two in which we will surely melt with the scorching heat and 100% humidity.  But the last practice was sweet and precious, and so memorable.  I actually didn't know they had any formal ending to signify their achievement, so it was a fun surprise.  I have come to the conclusion that there isn't much cuter than 3 year old soccer. The boys did their normal practice but at the end they got to stand up one by one and get their medal and certificate...

And then they got to do their final team huddle and cheer...

And of course, they had to line up for team pictures....

And then we took a few of Luke and his close buddies (although we were missing one of his best buddies Cooper!).  Luke loves these guys!

This just reminds me how quickly time is going and how big Luke is getting.  I have always been one that is ready for the next stage.  I loved each stage, but honestly was ready when my baby turned to toddler and then toddler turned to preschooler.  But right now?  Right now I wouldn't mind having time stand still for just a little longer.

{My Little Dudes}

Monkey see...monkey do.  Once Daddy put his hat on backwards, both the little boys had to get their hats and put them on backwards.  My little dudes...

 

{Early Mother's Day}

We celebrated Mother's Day early in my little family.  Since Chat is having to work this weekend and I know that we had to celebrate our own mothers and grandmothers this weekend, we thought it would be a good idea to celebrate on Thursday since our calendar was wide open.  Chat suggested a picnic at the park and I loved the idea!

 

We packed up the kids and their lunches, picked up some hamburgers for Chat and I and headed to a park we don't frequent that often.  It has the most beautiful, huge oak trees of any park (although you can't see any in the pictures below) and it is one of my favorites.  What I would have done to been able to climb trees like this when I was young.  This park is just different for some reason, and I love that we save it for special times and for just the four of us. 

 

It was an overcast day, so not too hot luckily.  The boys wanted to play more than eat, and that was okay by me, although we did get them to sit for a little bit.  

 

 

 

Mostly the boys wanted to swing.  It is literally the only thing Ben likes to do at the park now and will stay swinging for an hour or more.  And he will scream his little head off if you try to get him out before he is ready.  I always like to ask, "You ready to get out?" and every time I get a very loud "NO!".  Oh Benny.  Luke is loving the big boy swing and likes going "super high" or "crazy high".  We still have to push him, but we are working on teaching how to pump his legs.  Chat jumped on as well and so did I at one point.  I have to agree with my kids...swinging is fun!

 

 

We did play on the other equipment and then the slide for a bit as well.  It really was so fun for the four of us to spend that time together and really play.  I couldn't have asked for more...

 

 

Wish I would have showered and been in clothes other than those meant for the gym to make for some better pictures, but oh well.  We ended the outing with an ice cream cone from McDonalds then headed home for naps.  I really do love times like these shared with my three boys :).  It is so sweet of Chat to come up with things like this to help celebrate special times.

Luke came home with this beauty from school today (he is in the Panda class at school...hence the panda).  I love these little gifts we get made by the boys!  Now just hoping I can keep the plant alive...

 

{Baby Bird & Buddies}

I have decided that I won't be taking Ben into any thunderstorms anytime soon.  Because he will surely be struck by lightening.  Because strange things just keep happening to him...

This past Sunday evening we were all outside in the front yard.  Luke was running around and Ben was swinging as usual.  Our friends, The Caseys, were on a walk and came by and we were all chatting in the front yard watching the kids play.  It was so fun and such great weather!  Then all of a sudden Ben started screaming.  We all look at him and there was a bird in his lap.  A baby bird fell out of a nest in the tree that his swing was on and landed in his lap and got stuck there between Ben's stomach and the swing.  Ben was strapped in and the bird was right where we needed to undo the straps.  He was screaming and crying, Chat was panicking trying to figure out what to do, I started screaming, and all the while the bird was flapping and freaking out.  It probably only last about 15 seconds really, but it was a loooooong 15 seconds.  We finally tilted the swing and the bird fell to the ground and then we pulled Ben out and I tried to call him down since he was in tears.

After it was all over, we all just looked at each other laughing wondering if that just really happened?!?!  Out of that whole area, that bird fell in that small space on Ben.  I am just glad there were friends there that witnessed it because I wouldn't have believed it.  After that I have realized that Ben is just our special child that strange and weird things are going to happen to.  It is such a hoot when it is not giving me heart attacks!

In other news, my boys are starting to play together!!!  For the past six months all I have heard is fighting and screaming, but I think we are turning a corner.  One night this week, they played trains side by side for 45 minutes.  They took turns and Luke was patient and tried to "teach" Ben how to play with them.  It was precious.  I was so very proud of Luke. 

Then the other night I overhear this:

Luke:  "Ben, do you want to play catch?"
Ben:  {Nods}

And then they played!  Luke picks up this little, blue, deflated football and throws it at Ben.  Ben giggles and runs to get it and then runs and hands it back to Luke.  Luke throws it again...and so on!  It probably only lasted about four throws, but it was so fun to watch.  It was all on their own and they were just being buddies.

The weather has been so beautiful it has lead to lots of outside play and lots of opportunity to bond.  Like when they got their "swords" and ran around the yard after the dogs...

The moments are giving me so much joy!  Of course, there are still fights and not-so-fun moments, but these times are starting to become more common and I am just enjoying the heck out of them!  This is what I imagined when I thought of having two little boys...

{Catching Up -- Napa Trip & ER Visit}

So that was a little bit of a blogging break!  And a lot has happened in between my last post and today.  Mostly good stuff, but some not-so-good-stuff too.  And because I am still trying to catch up on life, here is the gist of the last two weeks:

1.  Chat and I went on our first trip together in over four years.  We went without children to one of our favorite places ever...the wine country in California!  We stayed in downtown Napa and visited wineries all around and it was wonderful.  We had a great time reconnecting and drinking some amazing wine and eating delicious food. It was great to be spouses again and just have fun together.  And fun we had....

 

This picture was taken in our convertible. 
We decided the only way to do Napa was with the top down!

 

2.  We got back from California about 8:00 pm on Sunday night.  I walked in the house, said hello to Luke and then immediately heard Ben wheezing very loudly.  The loudest I have ever heard him wheeze.  Since I really didn't have any idea how long he had been like that and he was laboring so hard to breathe and being lethargic, we decided to take him to Texas Children's ER and we were there by 8:30 pm.  Chat stayed behind with Luke since he hadn't seen either us in four days and needed at least one of us. 

Ben and I were at the hospital till about 2:00 or 3:00 that morning where he got several breathing treatments, a chest xray and a few other medicines.  It was a very long night for both of us.  At one point he wasn't responding to the treatments and the doctors started discussing admitting him and I started to panic thinking we were headed down the path when he was seven weeks old.  But luckily he eventually started breathing easier and we have been managing at home since then.  But seriously...who goes to the ER this much with their kiddo??  He worries me so much some times. 

The breathing treatments increased his heart rate and made him red as a tomato...

 

3.  We had a follow-up appointment with our regular pediatrician on Wednesday and Ben was still wheezing real bad (not like Sunday night though!) even though we had been doing continuous breathing treatments and steroids at home.  So she is suggesting we start seeing a pediatric pulmonologist since this has been ongoing and getting worse.  It will take one to three months to been seen, but at least we have it in motion.  This is probably eventually going to be diagnosed as asthma (instead of reactive airway disease right now) and I am just hoping he grows out of it.  This has been a scary ordeal.  I just never knew how frightening asthma could be for a young child.  But luckily Ben is doing great today.  The wheezing is getting better and his cough isn't as bad.  So we are heading in the right direction!

 

4.  In less dramatic news, we have been working on mother's/grandmother's gifts at home.  We'll see if these actually turn out well and get gifted out!  Good try nonetheless...

 

 

5.  We have been spending lots of time at home outside eating popsicles!  Choosing which color he wants is a big decision for this guy...

 

Ben's curls get out of control in the humidity! 

And he gets whatever color Luke doesn't choose.  Luckily he isn't picky :).

6.  I got several cute pictures of Luke playing in the backyard lately.  This boy has been doing so well lately and did amazing while we were gone for four days.  He is growing up so much and has been making me so proud lately.

 

 

 

I have had a bit of trouble catching up since the trip -- on sleep and on things we need to get done around here.  But for now, we are just all happy to be healthy and under one roof!