Vacation

Bruce had promised me a trip for our ten year anniversary which is coming up in November, so that was our reason for going to Florida. I wanted to go in September because with Mom watching the boys I knew that it would be warm enough that they could go outside and enjoy the good weather. Well, the boys were at Mom's from Sunday night to Friday night last week and I know that Bruce and I missed the boys more than they missed us!! We go to pick them up and Nathan didn't even give us a hug, and he immediately said that he didn't want to go home. Can you believe that? Darren came up for a hug, but then wanted down immediately so he could also continue playing. Apparently "the farm" is much better than Mom & Dad.

It was weird calling and talking to Nathan because he told us that he was too busy to talk to us one day and another day he acted like he had places to go and people to see. Mom put Darren up to the phone once and I said hello and asked how he was and he never said anything but I could hear Mom in the background saying that he was smiling ear-to-ear.

Unfortunately for Mom, it sounds like she had a rough week with Darren. Mom said that he only slept thru the night once. Other nights he woke up and didn't want to go back to sleep. Don't know if he is sick or if he is just hungry. He eats more than Nathan alot of times, and I know that in the past if he didn't have enough to eat before bed he will wake up in the middle of the night and want something to eat.

On top of no sleep Mom had my two boys all week, Jenna on Tuesday and Wednesday and then Julia on Thursday. My aunt Patty says that we have the best Mom in the world, and I have to agree. Sometimes I have to force myself not to ask Mom to watch the boys for something because she does so much already. My siblings and I always go in on a gift and then Bruce, I and the kids get my parents something extra for everything that they do for us. Maybe if I had more patience I could be a Mom like my Mom!!! (She didn't always have that patience when we were kids and I can remember that clearly since I am the eldest!)

Outdoor boys

My boys are definitely outdoor boys. Nathan has been begging to go out back and play, and since the weather has been so nice, he is allowed to go out and play in the back yard only. I know that Nathan has learned his lesson about trying to cross the road, but it still scares me to let him go out by himself. I open the kitchen window so I can hear him if he needs me, and stay close so I can look out the window every two minutes. I trust him, but it is everyone else that I don't trust. He is so cute when the neighbor girl Leslie, who I think will be six in October, comes over to play. Bruce and I say that she is Nathan's girlfriend. They play extremely well together.

On the flip side, Darren gets very mad because I won't let him play outside without Bruce or myself. Since the beginning of the summer, Darren has gotten much better about not going near the road. Darren, of course, isn't allowed to go outside by himself. Evenings are so busy that we let Nathan go out while I stay in and make dinner, do laundry and do whatever I need to do. Darren will sit at the door to the garage and just cry and whine until Nathan comes in. He sits there and says, "sie" which means that he wants to go outside also. Usually one of us relents and takes him out for a half hour or an hour and he is the happiest boy on earth. It is annoying at times that all they want to do is play outside and I have to supervise Darren, but I have to remember that it is better than having them sit in front of a TV.

Move to the toddler room

About a month ago, we got a note from MaryLou at daycare (the baby room director) that we need to start having Darren drink out of a regular cup, using a spoon himself, and sitting at the table vs. a high chair. Well, Darren has been doing some of that stuff for months. The only time he gets to drink out of a regular cup is when we are sitting down eating so that we can watch and make sure that he doesn't dump whatever is in his cup on his plate. MaryLou said that Darren has been doing extremely well with the above mentioned items. The only trouble he will have adjusting to being in the toddler room will be the fact that they don't get morning naps. Darren is very much a monkey-see, monkey-do. We are constantly telling Nathan that he shouldn't do that because he is teaching Darren to crawl behind the couch or whatever mischief Nathan is currently doing. Darren looks for trouble instead of trouble looking for him!

Preschool days

Two Wednesday's ago, we had a meeting at daycare about Nathan and what he is going to learn at preschool this year. He is so excited! The other day when we driving to Versailles I said something to Nathan along the line of, "You are going to be smarter than Mommy & Daddy when you are done with preschool." Nathan has my quick wit and said that he is already smarter than Daddy and will be smarter than Mommy after he is done with preschool. He wants us to go out and buy him a backpack so that he can put his folder in there that he got at the "open house." I look at him and think that he isn't a little boy, he is a little man. He is growing so fast! I bought him a new pair of tennis shoes the other day, and they weren't boy's size; they were men's!! Granted they were only (1's) but that is still on the men's chart of sizing.