A Trip to See Pops

Mom and Dad got moved to a nursing home on July 15th.  I knew that if I didn't go visiting them this week I wouldn't be able to see them until mid-August because of stuff we had going on at home.  We finished our swim lessons Thursday afternoon and headed out as soon as we were done.  It was one of the fastest trips we had made to Dallas, because we were back home in Tyler by dinner on Friday.  

I dressed the boys in their matching outfits that my parents got them from their Hawaiin cruise last year.   Dad loved seeing them in their outfits.  

 They eat dinner at like 4:45 at the nursing home so since they had already eaten, we all went to the game room to hang out for a little bit.  Pearson and Pops played a game of checkers.  

Lolly & Nash worked on a puzzle. 

When we took Pops back to his room, Nash was walking around with Pearson's sunglasses and his paci.  All of the little old people were dying over him.  One old lady even tried to pick him up.  I had to stop her because I knew he was way to heavy for her to carry, so she just gave him a big kiss on the cheek instead!!

 Lolly got Pops all ready for bed and then we went to get some pizza and some popsicles at Steel City Pops.  It was our first time to go.  It was so good.  Only thing that would have made it better was if Pops was there to share it with us.  

Our trips back home are always short but especially sweet because I know it means the world to my parents to be able to see the boys.  They went from living a half a mile from us and seeing them multiple times a week to living two hours away and never getting to see us because of all that's going on.  I know they feel like they are missing out on so much so I want them to be able to enjoy the boys as much as they can.  

meal planning monday

Monday: Meatloaf Meatballs, Rosemary Potatoes, & Broccoli

Tuesday: Margarita Chicken, Mexican Cornbread and Black Beans

Wednesday: Spaghetti & Meatballs, Caesar Salad, & Garlic Knots

Thursday: Chicken Salad & Chips

Friday: KITCHEN CLOSED

Saturday: KITCHEN CLOSED

Sunday: KITCHEN CLOSED

just keep swimming

Last July 4th Pearson fell in the hot tub.  Grandaddy was right by him and jumped in after him (in his clothes), but it really scarred Pearson.  He has pretty much been afraid to swim ever since.  Even though we really don't have anywhere to swim here in Tyler, I knew I needed to get him in swim lessons to get over his fear of the water.  I honestly didn't care if he learned how to swim or not, I just wanted him to feel confident in the water again.  

I chose to do swim lessons through Tyler Swim Academy.  All the swim instructors were swimmer for Robert E. Lee High School.  I chose here because I liked the idea that it was two weeks long.  I felt like one week wouldn't do much for Pearson.  He needed more days for it to all soak in.  

 Pearson was over the moon excited that he got to wear goggles!!

He was a little shy and timid in the water the first few days.  He actually had one instructor the first day and then got switched to a different group.  Once he had been with Mr. David for a couple of days he really started to come out of his shell and get brave in the water.  

 Swim lessons were from 2-2:30 Monday-Friday the first week and Monday-Thursday the second week.   It was SO hard to keep Nash entertained for those 30 minutes.  He wanted to be in the water so bad.  I could have stayed in the car, but I really wanted to be able to see what Pearson was doing.  Most days I ended up giving him my iPhone and letting him watch a show. 

 On the last I brought my good camera in and got some shots of him.  I also took some videos as well, but I'll probably never get them put up on the blog. Just being honest!! 

 His teacher Mr. David was so nice.  We loved him.  One evening we saw him driving down Broadway with some friends and Pearson thought it was the coolest thing ever that we saw him outside of swim lessons.  He also asked one day if he could just wear his belly button like David does.  Ha! I always put a swim shirt on him and he wanted to go without it just like David.  

 Pearson got really good at going under water and getting rings.  That is something he wouldn't have done at all before swim lessons.  

 Jumping off the diving board at the end of lessons was his absolute favorite thing about swim lessons.  He would do this 100 times if his teacher would have let him.  

 Although I wouldn't quite call him a swimmer and I definitely won't let him swim without any floaties, we made some great strides this summer.  We'll be taking swim lessons again next summer and hopefully have a membership to a pool so we can swim more often!!

I'm just pleased that my big boy learned to love the water again and overcame his fear from falling in last summer. 

story time @ panera bread

Our new house is close to a Panera Bread.  Like really really close…….it's dangerous.  

I have discovered their cinnamon crunch scones and I am too embarrassed to admit how many times I have gone and picked one up!!

Another great thing about our Panera Bread is that they do a story time in the summer on Mondays at 10am.  It's a perfect time for us because we can zip up to Panera and be back by 10:30 for Nash to squeeze in a morning nap. 

It's put on by the Tyler Librarian so the lady that comes is really great! She picks out really great stories to read and has the best voice to listen too! She also sings few songs with them too.  

While the stories are great, I can guarantee you that my boys favorite part is this…...

Yes, milk and cookies at Storytime.  It really doesn't get any better than that!!

It's a perfect time for us because we can zip up to Panera and be back by 10:30 for Nash to squeeze in a morning nap.

 I know we are all going to be sad when this story time is over in September.  

 I guess we will have to drive across town to the actually library for story time, but it will be such a bummer because they don't have milk and cookies!!

meal planning monday

Monday: Tator Tot Casserole, Roasted Green Beans, & French Bread

Tuesday: French Dip Sandwiches, Chips & Fresh Fruit

Wednesday: Salmon, Roasted Potatoes, Ceasar Salad & Dinner Rolls

Thursday: Matt: On his own Me & Boys: W/ Lolly & Pops

Friday: Chicken Spaghetti, Green Beans, & Dinner Rolls

Saturday Breakfast: Eggs in a Basket & Bacon

Saturday Lunch: Ham Rolls, Chips & Fresh Fruit

Saturday Dinner: Meatloaf Meatballs, Broccoli, Mac N Cheese & Cresents

Sunday Lunch: Out w/ The LeBlancs

Sunday Dinner: Leftovers

VBS

I have worked VBS the past 3 years so Pearson and Nash could come with me.  I was sad that I wouldn't be at our church to work so our boys could go to VBS.  And with all that has been going on with Dad, I wasn't about to volunteer at a church just so the boys could go.   After chatting with a friend one day, she informed me that a church here in Tyler will take 4 year olds without parents volunteering.  Score!! I signed Pearson up for his first VBS!!

Pearson seriously had the best week of his life! He loved every minute of VBS.  

They had the church completely decorated in the Everest theme.  All week Pearson kept asking when he was going to go to the real Mt. Everest.  

 The kids heard bible stories each day, sang awesome songs (which we are still singing because we have the CD), learned about missionaries, gave to lots of different things throughout the week, and learned more about God.  He really loved it!!

He got to be in a class with his buddy Wade.  They had the best time together.  At the end of the week they got a t-shirt and we had a family picnic.  It was a great way to end a great week! We already have our calendar marked for next year's VBS.  

Nash Eats Yogurt!

When Pearson was a baby, I posted about everything!!  I had lots of free time since I only had one child!!! There's not too much of that anymore with two children, so poor Nash doesn't get his own posts very often.  He's lucky I have been able to keep up with my monthly posts for him!! Pearson was at a day camp so I stopped and took some sweet pictures of Nash eating his greek yogurt, just like I did when Pearson was about his age.  

Sweet boy loves him some yogurt and he loves feeding himself with a spoon without any help at all.  

nash {17 months}

Measurements: 

28ish lbs; 33ish inches

You are mostly wearing 24 month/2T PJ's.  Clothes are mainly 24 months, 18-24 months, and 2T.  You are in size 5 diapers and size 6 or 7 shoes.  

Sleeping: 
Great night sleeping this month.  Nighttime sleep is usually 7pm-7am and naps are usually 10-11 or 11:30 and 2-4ish.  You are still going strong with your morning nap so I do my best to be home for you to take them.  We miss on Tuesdays when we go to Bible Study and Sunday when we go to church.  Thankfully all the times we have driven back and forth to Dallas, I drive during nap time and you always sleep almost the entire drive. 

Eating:
You LOVE to eat!! You really will eat anything and everything.  Some of your favorites are bananas, pasta, chicken pot pie, potatoes, blueberry waffles, gold fish, cheese sticks and black beans.  I can always count on you to eat whatever I fix and you always eat more than Pearson.  You are still nursing right before bedtime.  You show no signs of wanting to stop.

New Tricks/Activities/Accomplishments: 
You are really pointing to things when you want them, you just don't have the words to say what things are. You love to give us five.  I can't really think of any other "tricks" you have this month. 

Words:

Da-De (Daddy) Hiiiiii, Bye-Bye, Bubu and Mama, Heeeyyyy, Doh (duck), Pu-Pee (puppy), Ba-Bee (Baby), Ah-Oh (with a big round mouth) Bah (Ball) Wowwwww {New This Month} Doh-Gee (doggy), Buh-dee (birdie) Nigh-Nigh (Night-Night) Woah (Hello) Tru (Truck)

Teeth: 

12 (6 top/6 bottom) You top right molar is still coming in.  Your bottom right lateral incisor is finally coming in and both bottom molars are working on coming in. 

Likes:
Dancing, playing at church, playing outside all by yourself with brother, swinging, having the front seat in the bath, having the playroom to yourself, throwing stuff….balls, toys, food etc, wrestling with brother.

Dislikes:
When you don't have your paci in the car, when I pull you out of stuff you shouldn't be in, when I hold you instead of letting you walk, when we get onto you for hitting, when we spat your arm.  

Other Random Facts:

• You have been super clingy this month and I think a lot of that has to do with all thats going on in our lives.  I went from not being away from you for more than 4 hrs to being away from you all day and even over night quite a few times in the last month.  It's like you are so scared I am going to leave you.  
• You have started hitting your brother.  You wake up reared back ready to hit every morning.
• You are obsessed with watermelon.  I can't even cut one up without you yelling at me to give you a piece.  
• Bah Boo is your word for things you don't know.  Everything is a Bah Boo. 
• Every animal you call a doggie and every person you call a baby.  
• You have started climbing on the side of the high chair when you are ready to eat, but once you get up there, you can't get down.  It's really funny!!
• You love to walk around the house with the broom.  Too bad you aren't actually cleaning.  
• You play so good by yourself in the playroom when no one is in there with you (aka Pearson not bothering you) but then when you see me, you lose it and don't want to play by yourself anymore.  
• You love to wave bye to Daddy in the morning.  You wave your arms so big.  It's precious!!
• You have started picking up my phone and holding it like you are taking a selfie.  You look at the phone and say "Deeeeeee"
• I copied this sentence from Pearson's 17 month post, but you are doing the exact same things!! "You mimic things we do and it's so cute.  If you see a brush, you will start to brush your hair with it. If you see the the thermometor, you will rub it against your head.  If you see me use anti-bacterial hand wash, you will start to rub your hands together. It's crazy how much you soak up just watching us do everyday things." 

Here is Pearson at 17 months and Nash at 17 months.

 Look how you have changed……

sprinkler fun

One of the things on our summer to do list was to play outside in the sprinkler.  Pearson was SO excited about doing this, especially because he got a new toy for his birthday to hook up to a water hose.  However, once we got it started, he kept saying, "No, no no, it's getting me wet!" Ha!!

We finally convinced him to get closer and run across it.  Once he got the hang of it, he had a lot of fun.  As you can see by the picture, we weren't able to convince Nash the same. 

 He found a mud puddle to play with instead.  

Who needs sprinklers when you can just play in the mud!! 

meal planning monday

Monday: Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, Swiss Potatoes, Asparagus & French Bread

Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti & Garlic Bread

Wednesday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches & Chips

Thursday: Pizza Night!

Friday: Cinnamon's Rehearsal Dinner

Saturday: Cinnamon's Wedding

Sunday: On the Road

july 4th {2015}

Matt's sister and brother in law always host an annual 4th of July party.  We have been going ever since we were married. At first I didn't think we would go because we are in Tyler, but after thinking about it, we didn't really have anything to do in Tyler and we hadn't seen my parents at Baylor Institute for Rehab, so we made a 24 hr trip to Dallas to visit my parents and spend the 4th with Matt's family.  

Dad was excited to see us all.  We hadn't seen him since Father's Day.  It was nice to be able to see where he was doing therapy and where Mom and Dad are living.  I talk to Mom on the phone and see her posts on Facebook, so I like to be able to "see" what she is talking about in my mind.

We talked Mom into slipping away for a little bit to go to lunch.  We told her we would take her anywhere.  She chose Grimaldi's.  We never turn down Grimaldi's!!  It was such a good lunch and so good to spend time with her, but it was so hard leaving her.  I know that Mom & Dad feel so lonely in Dallas, but Dad is getting the best therapy he can get there.  

After spending time with my parents we headed to Allen for the family 4th shindig.  

 Pearson has been so shy in the water and really not liked swimming at all the few times we have been this summer.  For some reason, today, he put his puddle jumper on and was fearless today!

 I'm sure a lot of it had to do with the fact that his cousin, Ethan, is a great swimmer!!

 Nash enjoyed playing in the park before he took a dip in the pool.  

 He was Mr. Serious in the pool.  We couldn't get him to crack a smile.  

 That is, until he found the water fall!! So fun!!

 And of course, he was all smiles when dinner was served.  But anybody would be all smiles with Bryan's famous BBQ!! It's so good and it was totally worth the drive from Tyler to Dallas.  

 I didn't get any pictures of the firework show around the corner from their house because I stayed back with Nash and put him to bed.  He didn't get much of a nap, so he was exhausted. Pearson watched the fireworks with Matt and he said he loved it!!