Brice's 4th Birthday- June 23, 2014 and Nathans 2nd Birthday - September 30, 2014

Birthday update before they turn 5 and 3!

Brice had another fun and hot birthday. We had his friends and family over for a pool party and the theme was Octonauts. He had a pinata that the kids loved! He was spoiled with toys and his birthday wish was that Auntie Lauren (Englert) will stop telling him he can not get older and have no more birthdays. After telling Auntie Lauren his wish she called him and told he he can grow up!

Nathan had a Toy Story birthday party. September is warm, but you can at least sit outside. We had a large Buzz Lightyear greeting everyone and a pin the tail on Bullseye. Friends and family came to celebrate and he was also spoiled with toys. He of course ate all the frosting, because he has a little bit of a sweet tooth :)

Where are my babies!?!?!

It seems to be the norm now. The older the kids get, the busier our family gets. I have been telling my self for months now to get on the computer and write. So much has happened since I last updated my blog and the kids are saying and doing the cutest things and saying and doing the naughtiest things! 

I am going to start this 2015 blog post with a conversation I just had with my Brice (4 1/2)

At home after school

Brice - Mom I am in love

Me - (of course thinking it is about me) that's nice with who?

Brice -  A girl at school, but I don;t know her name.

Me - Oh, is she in your class?

Brice - No she is in Ms. Utleys class. But I am not going to marry her, because she already has a mom.

Me - Did you talk to her on the playground?

Brice - She was riding the bikes and I had to move out of her way and then I just sat there and stared at her. I'm just in love with her.

Me - (slightly shocked) oh well maybe next time you should say hi to her.

Nathan's baptism 4/27/2013

We are a lucky family. We got to celebrate the big event with  Grandma Ruth and grandpa who came out, as did uncle Russ and auntie Lauren Englert. Uncle Russ and auntie Lauren are Nathan's godparents and did a fabulous job. We celebrated with friends and family having a lunch beforehand, then mass and cake after. We have a very loving and generous family and are very blessed.

God bless Nathan Guy McCollem

California Trip

We visited the capistrons and Lauren in Ca. The kids and walker were rockstars on the drive. With only some crying here and there. Brice got to sleep in Riley's room and Nathan did alright in the pack n play. Some nights were better then others. Jake and Kyla had to work, so we took all the kids to huntington beach. It was a rainy cold day, but we wanted to see the ocean. We ate lunch and walked the pier quickly, then went to a nearby park. At the park the rain stopped and it was beautiful. We had a great trip as always. I love watching Brice and Riley play, they really love being around one an other. We lo forward to more trips out!

Holidays 2013

I love having Nathan's first holidays, we have had California trips Mother's Day Father's Day and one of my favorites this year was the 4th of July. We rented a place for two nights with a loft in Sedona with a gorgeous view of a hiking trail with Bell rock in the background. The kids did well. On the 4th they had a laser show to music and food on the high school field. It was a beautiful night and Brice could run around and Nathan was free to crawl. Sedona is just beautiful and we relaxed as much as we could with a 3yr old, 9 month old and a dog.
I look forward to many more memorable trips with the family. It is a complete joy to see the happiness in the kids when they are experiencing things for the first time. Not a care or worry in the world which makes my heart melt. Ahh, to be a kid :)

Silliness

Darren: hey doopy
Brice: I not doopy

Not sure where this came from but now everything is doopy or bokey. "Twinkle twinkle little bokey how I wonder what your bokey. I silly mamma" :)

Brice is 3!

Brice of course wanted a Cars Birthday, so that's just what he got. He LOVES Cars. We had family and friends over for a pool party. He had a blast, with fake tattoos, a racetrack cake and lots of presents. I can't believe I had him 3 years ago. Things about Brice...

He is finally potty trained, it happened right before his 3rd birthday through the night and everything. It was a feat, but is so freeing now that it is over.
He starts preschool next week, we visited Mrs. Jeana's classroom. It is a brand new building attached to the middle school. He will be doing two half days and I know he is going to love it.
He is talking so much and lots of cute things, that will have to be a separate entry!
He had his first sleep over at someone else's house (grandma and papas) and Riley was visiting. He did great and wants to do it again.
We all went to the circus for the first time (grandma, papa, darren, Nathan and Riley) it was pretty cool Brice's favorite part was the "woopty whoops" he always says "let's talk about the circus".
He went to his first movie at the theatre. We tried seeing Monsters University, but it was packed, so I got free summer tickets to Ice Age 4 and I took Brice and Riley. Not the best movie, but he sat through it.
He gets very excited for things which is cute. And is pumped for school.
He is already teasing me, darren knows when he is doing it and I still need to figure it out I have a feeling this wont be a phase.
Loves going to the store to "just look at the toys"
Is hopefully over the tantrum phase, but can get into a crying fit from time to time.
He is adorable when he tries to wink, he tries so hard and ends up blinking.

He is my very social and outgoing boy. He is still Mr. Serious, but likes to tease and joke. And still gives me that smirk just like his daddy!

Nathan's growing fast!

My Nathan is getting big fast. It is different with two kids, the first one you're waiting for him to do everything because you can micromanage everything he is doing and it feels like forever. The second seems to do things out of no where, because your now watching two kids grow and learn new things. I am shocked to think his first birthday is around the corner. So here is a recap on the last 4 months.

9 months he is almost 23 pounds! He is a little chubbier then tall according to percentile, but his chunk is pretty adorable!
8 months 4 top teeth came down, yes all 4 at the same time
10 months and still nursing which has its good and bad.
10 months and still won't take the bottle
9 months started actually drinking from sippy instead of just chewing it
9 months eating chunks of food has a sweet tooth
6 months First word was definitely mama which is usually screamed from the crib
9 1/2 months standing by self, but no steps yet!
8 months crawling and prefers the one knee and one leg crawl
9 months he found out he can climb the stairs
10 months he has been saying dada, ya, yay, more (moah), no
10 months started holding his hand to his ear to talk on the phone
10 months he and Brice have started wrestling. Brice has been very good and just let's Nathan crawl on him
LOVES to dance
Is such a happy and giggly baby
10 months I started letting him cry in the crib, extremely hard for me, but its is time he learns crib is his sleep time. We now have a routine of two naps a day for an hour and sleeps 7-7 and has almost completely stopped crying when he is put in his crib to sleep.
He follows Brice everywhere
10 months loves the tents in the playroom and tunnels

He has changed so much and is a content happy boy.

Potty Training

It Sucks.

Things Brice Says

After peeing on the potty and getting down he looks at grandma and yelled, "I forgot to shake!" he then had to get back on the potty and shake :)
At nap time he likes to look out the window and you hear from time to time "Hey girl, what are you doing?" to the neighbor girl

He looks at the toys R' Us catalog, his "newspaper" and says "I will ask Santa for this"

He tells me "Walker is my friend" and "don't eat Nathan he's my friend"

Pointing "Go this way", he is my backseat driver

He will tell you everything i.e "Daddy says I can play outside" or at the park "Mom the girl says hi to me!"

"I love you too mom."

" I dream of Papa tickling"

" I go to Grandma and Papas house"

"Kiss my boo boo" (kiss) instantly better " thanks mom"

"May I be excuse me"

At the dinner table, "I just burped in my diaper"