Weekend - from mid-October

I found this draft of a post dated 10-18-09. I guess things got a little hectic and I forgot about it.

"Cole to Lowe's with oversized sandals that look like mine and his hardhat that says Boss on the front, on backwards

hanging pictures and things

yardwork

campus - 1 x fountain, 3 x crash"

The trip to Lowe's was a blast. I love that he has no idea that he is wearing a goofy outfit and that he just enjoys himself. Sometimes it is really tough to keep a straight face when people look at me. But half the fun is acting like there is nothing out of the ordinary. Like when I went to Target with a girlfriend and he little brother years ago and he was wearing an actual army helmet around inside the store.

The other fun item of note here is the campus line. We took the boys to ASU campus to run around after sunday dinner. It is free of cars, and for the most part on a sunday night, people. Cole fell into the fountain in front of the college of business about 4 minutes after we got there. Mindy gave him her socks and we wrung out his shorts. He never did put his shirt back on. He also turfed it three times.

Time with the boys

I've had a lot more time to spend with the boys lately - despite my attempts to hang on to some sort of routine involving going to campus for a large part of each day. I'm very much a person of routine. I feel a bit lost without one.

We're headed into the winter break, but since the MBAs are on a trimester system, that just means we have mid-terms and come back in a month for the last five weeks of classes and then have finals. 11 weeks after that we have our third set of finals for the year and we're done for the summer.

I've been working on cover letters and resumés (so copying in the "e" with the accent from word doesn't work very well size-wise) for internships next summer. This takes a lot of time when you're not too sure about what to do.

Cole is now moving toward being potty-trained. He is obsessed with adults using the bathroom and frequently runs through a list of people to confirm their bathroom-using status. He recognizes the requirements for him to get a "big boy bike" because he talks about them constantly. Then he takes off everything but his diaper and gets to work. That big-boy bike ($30 at wally world) now sits in its box in the garage and we go out and look at the box often and discuss the agreement. He's not bothered by it remaining in the box for now.

He means well and he tries. I've started having conversations with him. Tonight I asked him what scares him. He said that the dark scares him. I'm not sure about this because he seems quite comfortable in the dark, but it was interesting.

I'm losing my train of thought, but there is much to write about Parker. I really need to find my old voice recorder and just carry it with me recording my thoughts and commentary on the funny things they do and say each day.

Today I built Cole a dirtbox. This is like a sandbox, but free and without the sand. I simply got out the rake and cleared the gravel from a 4x4 area in the backyard. Cole thinks it is great and it will get him away from the plants.

What Cole eats for breakfast

Yes, your eyes are working. Cole is eating toast with jam dipped in Gulden's spicy mustard. This morning was the third time he has requested this. And since Parker wants to be like his big brother, he too is eating this for breakfast.

Just a Funny Little Story about Parker!

This afternoon I informed Parker that it was about time for his nap. (A little background: a few days ago we took the front rail off Parker's crib so that he could start to get the feel for a big boy bed. He's had a lot of fun climbing in and out of it and has done pretty well with going to sleep in it - except for nap times.) This afternoon I was already starting to dread fighting Parker to stay in his bed for nap time. I informed Parker that it was just about time for his nap and that he would need to start wrapping up playing with trains. Parker decided that he had other plans!

Unbeknown to me, Parker went into his room, gathered up his blanket and stuffed animals and headed to the bottom bunk in Cole's room. (Cole starting sleeping on his top bunk about 2 months ago). While I was straightening up the toys in the playroom, Cole and Parker came and got me to show me the new arrangements. Parker, in his limited vocab, announced that he was now going to sleep in Cole's room! (I am quickly learning that as parents we only think we are in charge!)

Cole climbed up on the top bunk while Parker was on the bottom, they both giggled and giggled about being on the bunk beds together. Parker kept saying, "Cole on top". I decided that I would give Parker a chance and see if he would nap on the bottom bunk, I must admit I had little hope - 10 minutes later he was dreaming away! Now Andrew and I have to decide if we are really ready to have both the boys in the same room - we will see how the next few days go! . . . Andrew also suggested that we rent out Parker's room!

Parker is such the little crack up! He wants very much to be a big boy and is more insistent upon making changes then even Cole (another example was when Parker decided that he was done with his high chair and wanted to sit at the big table). Yesterday, when I picked Parker up from junior nursery, the leaders let me know that Parker is quite the class clown . . . I told them that we were already very much aware of this!

I love my little guys so much!