18 Months Old

Gavin turned 18 months in September. He had a great report from the doctor...still off the charts in size, but very healthy! He weighed 33 pounds, so I am definitely getting a workout every time I pick him up and carry him around! People think he is a 3 yr old all the time! Our only concern is that he is not talking very much. Don't get me wrong, he communicates just fine...everyone knows exactly what he wants; he's just not using words very often. He has a few that he uses regularly...mum (for mom), dada, more, oh wow, and uh oh. Occasionally, he will spit out a surprising phrase, like "here camera". So, I know the words are in there...it's just a matter of getting him to use them. He still has the sweet, laid-back personality he always has. I pray that he never loses that! And, he is as daring as ever...he will try anything without a single thought about it! We are constantly "saving" him from something or laughing at the outcome if we didn't get there fast enough! He has become very independent...he doesn't want me to carry him in to school or out to the car anymore...he tries to do lots of things on his own...and he thinks he is big enough to do everything his big brother does! He brings many smiles to our faces, and we couldn't love our little Gav any more!!!

This is what I mean by "daring"...


Just being cute...




Mr. Independent...trying to get his own water and taking his "food" (aka a pack of frozen veggies that he got out of the freezer) to his highchair...you'd think I never feed him!

August 2010

We enjoyed our last couple weeks of summer before school started. We didn't do a whole lot...that was my attempt to make the time go by slower...stretch it out for a little longer!

A three-man band



Grammy and Grampy took us to the circus! It was pretty amazing...tons of animals and crazy stunts. I think everyone enjoyed it!
Look at all the elephants

Gav watching from Grampy's lap

Aidan watching from Grammy's lap and anticipating the shot from the canon

Pretty excited about his souvenir


I went back to work in the middle of the month and the boys went back to their daycare. As sad as I was to be leaving them, I was legitimately excited about the upcoming school year. I am scheduled to be teaching some great classes, and I love the school I moved to last year. We moved into our new building this year, so I have now moved my school stuff three times in three years!!! No more...I plan to be here for a while!

As we headed back to school, I couldn't help but think how this was our last year without a school-aged kid. I can't believe Aidan will start kindergarten next year...he is getting so big and it brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it! His daddy keeps reminding me what a big raise we'll get when he goes to school...this is true! : ) Here's a pic after his back-to-school haircut!

July 2010

July was full of play dates to the pool, playing in the sprinklers, and going to "the jumping place", as Aidan calls it...anything to stay cool!

Play dates with my good friend Andy and her kids, Jack and Clara...I looked forward to these dates every week!!!
Bella, Jack, and Aidan at one of the jumping places

Swimming at their pool...it is really nice! The kids loved it and we enjoyed having some adult conversation! : )

How stinkin' cute is Miss Clara in her swimsuit?!?


Trips to Mom and Gene's house...these were like an escape for all of us...a change of scenery is always a good thing!
Playing in the backyard

Gavin running away with the sprinkler

Sweet moment with Bella and Aidan playing DS

Watching my cousins play outside...wanting to be out there, but it was just too hot for me!


Bath in Grammy's sink...makes me think of my Mamaw! : )

Playing in the tents


Playing in the water in our backyard...




At a family reunion for my mother-in-laws side of the family...




Fun at the mall...
Aidan on one of those bungee-jumping/trampoline things

Cuties

On the carousel

Sliding

Aidan in the hurricane tunnel

Tired from all that playing


My mom and I also threw a baby shower for her goddaughter, Taysha. We had it at a little bakery and were very pleased with how it turned out. I had so much fun making the diaper cakes for each of the tables, and mom and I both enjoyed shopping for pink! : )
The room

Mom, Taysha, and Me

June 2010

I really had good intentions of blogging a lot while I was off this summer. But, as you can see, that didn't happen. I guess I've been having too much fun during the days to take the time to do it and I'm too dead at night to sit down and concentrate! I have had a blast at home with the boys, but they are certainly tiring!!! I've also had my niece, Bella, during the days most of the summer. So here are some of our fun times from June...

Star Wars Concert
RJ has been taking Aidan out for "big boy days"...just Daddy and Aidan get to go. At the beginning of the summer, he took Aidan to a Star Wars Concert...there was a symphony playing the music from the movies (which Aidan loves...we will hear him singing Star Wars tunes as he plays), movie clips on big screens, laser show, and characters to mingle with afterward. When they got home and I asked Aidan about it, I could tell that he loved it and was so proud to have gone to it with his Daddy.

My handsome boys on the way out the door to go to the show.


Father's Day
We didn't do anything special for father's day...just hung out and enjoyed the day. The boys surprised their daddy with matching "My Dad's a Rockstar" t-shirts...pretty cute!


The Great Wolf Lodge
Every summer my parents take all the grandsons on a vacation, and I am lucky enough to tag along since I'm not working. This year, we went to The Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX. The room was adorable with a log cabin cubby for the boys to sleep in. The main attraction is an indoor water park, which the boys all loved. They also have a really cool scavenger hunt that is somewhat modeled after Harry Potter. Each kid gets a "magic wand" and a clue book and they wander around the hotel trying to accomplish these quests. As one of my good friends put it, "you have to have a doctorate to be able to figure this thing out!" The younger ones teetered out, but Sage and I beat the dragon...after 2 days...and that wasn't even the end of the game!!! It was a really fun trip and a great place to go with kids!

Waiting in the lobby.

The boys in their log cabin.

One of the cute paintings by their beds.

The water park...the boy's favorite part was the huge bucket that dumped tons of water every 15 minutes or so.

The boys on the scavenger hunt.

Gavin getting in on the action.

Sage fighting the Dragon.

At dinner...all the kids got Wolf ears. : )


Aunt Candy met us for dinner one night...everyone loved seeing her!!!

One last pose before we left.


Trip to Victoria
We went to Victoria for my mother-in-law, Mona's, birthday and redecorated a bedroom in her house for her. We stripped the wallpaper and painted the room. RJ took his mom to pick out new bedding. And, he replaced the blinds with faux wood ones. We have all been helping them redo the upstairs of the house for a while, and we were happy to add this to the makeover.

Aidan helping us paint...he was so proud and will point out to everyone that looks at the room which corner he helped with!

We kicked ourselves for not taking "before" pictures, but these are a couple of the "after" shots.



More of our summertime fun to come...