My Muffins

Trying to get back in the groove - here is attempt number one! ;)
Here are some recent muffin pictures.  Quite recently - just before Jude's birthday.  However, all three having hair cuts on Jude's birthday means I really should take some more recent ones again.  It's crazy to think that my little Jude is two already.  And now that he has his hair cut, he looks and acts so much older.  It was an instant transformation.  Pete didn't see the boys for about a week when he went back to Michigan to see his parents and the boys and I headed to Montana to visit friends.  The first words out of his mouth when he saw us again, "Jude looks different.  Lots different.  Older somehow!"

 Drew is going to be five next month.  That is almost harder to swallow than Jude being two!  He finished his Cubbie book this year already and is looking forward to starting Kindergarten and Sparkies this fall.

 My lil' dude.  Zippity Do-dah.  Now with short hair, but the dimples are not lacking.  You will just have to use your imagination until I get a new picture up here.  The new ones are on the camera, still in Montana where it was left.  Nice, huh?  Jude wins everyone over with his smile, still.  Quite the personality too.  Keeps me on my toes for sure!

My Ty, now three an a half.  So sweet and sensitive, yet the little instigator at times.  Usually when one of the brothers aren't filling the role, he sees it empty and steps up to the plate. 

Hairy Controversy!

Okay, so the last post with the pictures of Jude's hair spiked quite the controversy.  I already know how we feel, and several of you too; but just for curiosity's sake, I am conducting a poll.  The poll can be found over to the right and will not determine what we do, but for our entertainment, humor us!!

We had some wonderful weather the last few days - culminating yesterday with a 70 degree, sunny afternoon.  It was short lived, as we woke up to snow this morning.  The boys were so excited they were bundled up and outside playing before breakfast - and good thing because the snow was gone by lunch. 

Jude is expanding his vocabulary - this week he FINALLY started to call me mommy; and added "fishy", "icky", and "tickle".  It's such a fun stage!

Ty's new line to get out of something he doesn't want to do is "I can't Mommy!  I'm too strong!"  It doesn't matter if it's eating something he doesn't like or standing in the corner, he's too strong to do it.

And Drew has a new job.  He fashions faces on ritz crackers with peanut butter and chocolate chips.  He does this a long, long, LONG ways away; in Nineveh.  Mommy and Daddy can't go to his work, only Drew, Ty and Jude.  Interesting.

Lightning McQueen takes 3rd!

 A recent care package from Grandma arrived.  The boys really enjoyed the glow necklaces, and the excuse to run around the house in the dark.  In our house the stairs to the basement are between the living room and the kitchen, giving the boys a "race track" to run around from room to room.  When they are all going the same direction, it cuts down on crashes too.

Here you can see the damage to our trees and yard a little better now that the snow is gone.  It has since been cleaned up; but we still have piles along the curb.  We were told the city would come and pick them up, but the damage was spread wide across the city so who knows when they will get to us!

Jude is really a goof ball - and a trouble maker - but it is mostly out of his search for fun.  He's just a fun little guy.  He is also into making funny faces.  This was after tubby time one evening.  Drew was gone and Ty and Jude were running around the "race track" and burning energy before bed.


 Daddy caught him for a quick pic of his curls.  So many people say he needs a haircut and that he is starting to look like a girl.  With these curls, I just can't!  I will....but I think I will wait for Salem to de-throne him of the baby title before he starts looking like a big boy!!

 Below Drew's car is getting ready to head down the track at the AWANA derby.  At this church the Cubbies compete with the Sparks.  I was really proud of Pete for holding back and letting it be Drew's car and doing what Drew wanted instead of taking over and doing whatever he could to make it faster and better.  I guess it's a dad thing; but Pete did a great job.  Drew wanted a Lightning McQueen race car and Pete did a good job with the design.  I think they came pretty  close!!

Even better after Pete did so well at making it Drew's car, Drew placed third for speed!  I don't think either of us were expecting him to get an award at all, but he was so proud!  I don't think he understood exactly what was going on at first, but now his car and his trophy have to "watch him sleep". 

Ty was given permission by Drew to use his duck car from last year and they have been playing with the derby cars together.  Next year, once Ty can compete too, it will be quite interesting!!

 For the most part, Drew is completely understandable, in person, and we rarely have a hard time figuring out what he is trying to say.  Today, our landlord came over to clean out the gutters and take down the broken TV antenna from the roof.  The boys were upset they couldn't watch from the window, but I told them they could listen quietly (yeah right) and they might hear him walking around.  After awhile Drew came running up to me telling me he heard "sum-pee".  I guessed "something" but that was not it.  He was getting frustrated with me for not figuring it out; I guess I would have been too.  He hasn't had this problem in a long time!  I finally figured it out - "thumping."  After asking him to repeat it several times, it still sounded a little more unpleasant than thumping!

Also, I added the link to Salem's Caring Bridge site on the right of this page in case you missed it before!

Driving...

We had our second snowstorm this last week. Not as much snow, and thankfully, since the tree trimmers came, not as much damage. We had a few big limbs fall in our yard; but much easier to clean up this time. It didn't warm up as much yet this time either. The snow is lingering a little longer. The boys don't seem to mind; and have spent hours out playing in the melting snow.

Jude made it through another bug/ear infection. It's so nice to have my happy little boy back. I see smiles, he gets into trouble, he cuddles without whining, he gets into trouble, he plays with his brothers, he gets into trouble...Yep. He's back to his old self. Yesterday after Pete left for work, Drew, Ty and I were waving from the window. I turned around. Jude was gone. Jude was found on top of the table...for the first of many times. The other two found trouble - Jude spends his time looking for trouble. With the other two, if they could reach it, it was theirs. With Jude, if he can't reach it, he will find a way to reach it!! With the other two, if the potty was closed, we were fine. With Jude, it doesn't matter if it's closed or not! The potty is a great source of water for floods.

Ty has really become captivated by Salem's movements. He asks often if Salem is moving, and "checks" my belly to see if he can see him yet. He often comes over to give him hugs or rub my belly. We are still working on gentle hugs, but it's nice to see the bond forming before Salem is even here.

Drew also asks about Salem frequently - and worries if I am laying too much on my tummy, or if Salem needs more milk and broccoli. He even yelled at me to stop dancing with them because I was shaking Salem. I think Salem has some good older brothers!

I am not looking forward to changing the clocks. My boys get up early as it is. I don't want to be getting up even earlier. A 5:00 wake up call is a good way to start the morning off on the wrong foot!! Being light later is good; but with little kids I don't know that it's worth it. I vote for no time change!

The boys have become fascinated by the Duke boys. Thanks to daddy, they like to climb in and out of their cars without opening the doors, and when driving the little cars around they are more often jumping fences, water, bridges and other cars. An earlier conversation today:
D: Let's go Ty! We gotta get those Duke boys! Where's Roscoe P. Coltrane?
T: Over there! We have ta jump the water!
D: Ok, start going fast!
T: Ok!
D: Ok, jump Ty!
T: I did!
D: Get those Duke boys!
T: Ok.
D: Now we have to jump the fence into the neighbor's yard. We'll pick up Grandma there. At the airport.
T: No, not there! Over here. Over the bridge.
D: Ok, you go over the bridge and get Nana. I'll go over the fence and get Grandma. Then we'll crash through some trees.

I'm so glad I have YEARS before I have to think about them driving!!!