Grow A Head

The boys got these from my parents a couple weeks ago.

They've already had one haircut!

And are just about due for another!

The heads have a thick string that hangs down into the water, so you don't have to remember to water them daily. Very east for kids (and parents)!!

Well enough and Warm enough!

The boys were finally well enough to play outside for a little while today!

And thankfully is was warm enough as well!

Miles' appetite is back! I'm not sure how much weight he lost, but his jeans got pretty loose! Almost 2 weeks of picking at food, 5 days of an upset stomach, and 3 days of fever!!

But he's just announced that his tummy is growling and he's REALLY hungry for supper! YIPPEE!

James only had 2 days of fever, and about a week of not much food...

He's also battleing a runny nose. He even got weepy, mattery eyes, which would have resulted in an ear infection also, but I haven't noticed any drainage. I LOVE those tubes!

We are looking forward to some warmer spring weather!!

And I'm looking forward to weekend retreat! I plan on finally finishing Miles' quilt, making James a little blanket, and a whole lot of scrapbooking!

Photography by Ben

Ben took the following photos... Miles was talking to Grandma Mary...

...very serious business!

I'm home today with a sick Miles. He was complaining of a stomach ache last night and has a fever. This morning he was laying on the sofa moaning!! Poor guy! (This photo was taken about a week ago... I don't want whatever he's got!!)

He's finally sitting up, his fever has gone down, and he had a snack, so I'm hoping for a good night tonight!!

Other than this recent little stomach bug we've been doing well!

James had another hearing screen and PASSED!! Yippee! They said it can take about 3 months for him to learn the sounds he had been missing. We've already noticed a huge improvement with his speech.

And not so little Carver is now undergoing "intensive" leash training. He's already starting to pull the leash during walks, so I tried a gentle leader for the first time yesterday. He is not a fan! He worked very hard trying to get it off, then went crazy when we attempted to walk around the house. True to his breed, he's bull headed! Stubborn to the core, it's going to take work!

I have a crafty weekend coming up in April so I'll be sure to post my creations! I have goals set, so stay tuned!!

And I'm so excited for Ana's baby to arrive!! Sounds like he'll be making his arrival VERY soon!!

Finally Some Warmer Weather!!

We finally got some warmer weather and the boys were able to go outside!!

I know it's blurry, but it's also priceless! It's a true boy photo... a dirt booger!!

I have a feeling we'll spend tons of time outside!

Carver is NOT an outdoor loving dog yet. He LOVES his kennel (in the house). I thought he might like the warmer day, but not so much. He is getting bigger!!

It's pretty muddy yet, so the boys had boots on. Miles was pretending to go sledding, he says he LOVES when it's cold outside. I believe he has a future in Alaska!

Like those Arizona tees? Grandpa Bob and Grandma Louise brought them back from their month there. Sadly they have decided to spend 3 months there next year. They purchased a trailer. I'm not sure what we'll do without them!!

And seriously, could these guys smile a little harder??

This guy is not easy to get photos of. He seems to go completely deaf when I attempt to get him to look my way!

Poor Miles wasn't feeling to hot Sunday evening. It may be the first time he's refuse a cheeseburger! He said he had a cut in his tummy. And a little fever. But is better today!

Happy Birthday Sweet James!

Well, my baby turned 2 today!

We had a little party with the Grandparents and Ben's cousin, Jason.

Before supper, he climbed into his chair and just smiled at his presents...

And he finally got his big boy bed! He slept there for a nap and bedtime with no problem!

Food is always a hit with James, so of course cake made him happy!!

A Blue's Clues cake!!

He did VERY well sharing all his new toys with Miles.

My little ducky guy! This towel is the only way to avoid an ear piercing scream when bath time ends. He runs around quacking!!

Super cheesy bathtub smile!

I know this is only the beginning of feeling like the boys are growing too fast, and I'll say it a million times...

...it seems like yesterday he was a little "blob" on the floor and I was watching Miles so closely afraid he would accidentally fall on him! And anxious for the day they would play together! And they finally do!!

Whoa, too much energy!

There are so many things going on, so much I'd like to do, just not enough hours in the day!!

The ever creative Kristina is going to be teaching some lucky people how to make these cuties!

I SO wish I lived closer so I could attend!!

If anyone lives in near the Twin Cities check out this store and sign up for some classes!!

I would LOVE to create a boy version of this!! Plus the little monster are adorable!

Honestly, people who can whip out quilts are amazing! These are so beautiful! Can you tell I have a crafty itch that needs scratching!

Meanwhile, maybe you can get a giggle from these photos!

Why is it the 3 1/2 year old looks like this after eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

And the almost 2 year old stays clean?

I also thought I was due to post some pics of Carver! He's growing quickly! This was the best shot I could get. Here's a couple of my other attempts...

He really wasn't interested in posing for photos.

Uh huh!

A few other things...

Little James will be moving on to a big boy next weekend when he turns 2!! We've been talking to him about it, which he is VERY excited about. So tonight when we rearranged Miles' room, he thought Miles' bed was his new bed. Oh boy, the tantrum was earth shattering! So I introduced him to his new quilt and that calmed him down enough to hear us explain his bed was coming soon. At least we don't have to worry about him not wanting the new bed!!

And finally Miles' nightmare!!

Last week he woke up a couple of times crying. The next morning Ben asked him if he remembered his dream.

Miles: "There was a giant camel and a giant cat."

Ben: "A giant camel and a giant cat?"

Miles: "Yes, and they were calling me cookie."

Ben "Did they want to eat you?"

Miles: "Yes, and I hid in the bathtub."

I think we would have woken up scared a few times too!

Diaper Cake!

My sweet friend Ana will be having her first baby soon, and this past weekend we had a little baby shower for her. I've seen photos of diaper cakes, but thought it'd be fun to attempt one!

So I did a little research. I used rubber bands to secure the rolled diapers.

A simple platter and a bottle of champagne (for mom and dad to toast to the new baby once he's arrived).

I used a giant rubber band to hold the diapers in place around the bottle.

The bottom and second layers were size 1 diapers, the top were newborn. I'm sure you can use all of one or the other though!

I found some 4 inch wide satin ribbon to wrap around each layer which I secured with pins.

I tried hiding the diapers completely with paper between the layers (you can see that didn't work too well). And my husband said, "it's a diaper cake... aren't you supposed to SEE the diapers??" Hmmm, yea, okay.

So I removed the paper, added the bright green polka dot ribbon, and topped it off with a baby teething toy.

Both boys were pretty excited. Miles thought it looked "yummy" until he found out it was made out of diapers. And James really wanted the toy on the top.

*Update~ James' ear surgery went well! The doctor came out and told us everything went well just 10 minutes after they took him back! So a VERY quick procedure! He had a quiet wake up, and by supper time was banging on pots and pans again! So no sound sensitivity! We got them done just in time for his doctor to go on maternity leave!! He'll have a follow up appointment in a couple of weeks to check the tubes. I'll also be scheduling an audiology consult to check his hearing again. I have a ton of questions about his speech... where he should be, what sounds he's missing, what exercises I can do with him to help...