I Told You So!

So, in my last post I discussed the terrible school photos from this year.  Just to prove my kids are cute here are some of their "looks". 

Sometimes we are a "Grump-a-saurus" ... even if Billy the Bulldog is visiting for the weekend and we are wearing our very own crown we made at school.

 Sometimes we are on the goofy side... always finding ways to strike a pose for the camera.

But usually we are cute, cute cute!!  (Even with tousled up hair!)  Look at those eyes.... unbelievable!  How did he get so blessed? 

School Pictures

I have always loved school pictures. I always think they are so cute.  It is always fun picking out a nice outfit, I usually like to get the boys something new.  This year was a different story though.  Here is Travis' picture.

Really??! Now mind you, I see how these photographers take the pictures. My whole class has to go through the line.  These people sit there with their lap tops and take picture after picture just to get the perfect pose. Now really, should he be biting his lip off like this???  Honestly.  Then I got Connor's first ever school pictures taken. Here is the result.

Now really??  Should he have his mouth wide open like that? Does that look like a smile to you in any way shape or form? The thing that kills me is that when I take their pictures at home they almost always turn out cute.   Shouldn't these "professional" photographers have a clue?  With the technology they walk around with and haul into the schools for picture day these pictures should be much better than this.

 This year I ordered CD's of the pictures because it was cheaper.  My plan was to order the prints from Costco or something like that.  I have never been so disappointed with the school pictures.  Oh well.  It's a good thing I get their pictures taken professionally every year anyway.  This years photo session this summer from Penney's turned out cute. However, I can't upload any of them to my computer. They changed their settings. If anybody knows how to get around this please let me know. The only solution I can see is to buy the CD for $138. Really?? I spent a fortune on the printed photos and I am NOT going to spend a fortune on a CD. I am thinking in the future I might just start buying the CD only and then printing out what I want.  Has anybody tried this route??

For now I guess I will just suck it up to a bad picture year.  I know my boys are cute. And photogenic.  I don't need a school picture to validate that!  LOL

Connor-isms

***Added a P.S. at the bottom.  =)
I love three year olds!  They say and do the funniest things.  Connor has been doing some funny things and I wanted to write about them before I forget.  (It stinks to get older!)

He calls me "Moppy". One day he was crying, had a stuffy nose and said "I want Mommy" but it sounded like "I want Moppy". In an effort to stop the crying Daryle said, "Who is Moppy??" Connor busted out laughing. For some reason it stuck.

He calls Daryle "Dappy".  One day he was talking to Daryle and was trying to say "happy" and "Daddy" at the same time.  It came out "Dappy".  This too has stuck.

He still refers to our dog Rock as "Sparky". I finally realized I think he got this from one of his favorite T.V. shows.

He calls Travis "Tatis". When Connor first started talking that was how it came out.  He can say Travis but sometimes he just calls him Tatis.  I am not sure if it is out of spite or to be funny...

Today he was eating a green Popsicle. He held it up to Daryle and said, "I have a green Popsicle because....  Because I do." Then  he walked away.

Everywhere he goes he is looking for the letter C. When he sees one he  gets excited and shouts, "C  is for Connor!!!!!!"  He is on a perpetual hunt for the letter C. 

He is trying to spell his name. He looks at it and says, "C-O-N-N-N-O-R". I told him there were only two N's. He repeated the spelling. This time he said 4 N's. After several rounds of this we just changed the subject.  He'll get it eventually.

At school they are working on writing letters. We were reading an alphabet book and we were reading the H page. He suddenly told me, "There are two long lines on the sides and one little line in the middle. That makes an H."  He was so proud of himself. 


He will be running then suddenly stop and walk.  He informs me he has to use his "walking feet" .... like they do in school. 

I was reading him one of his favorite books.  (He has most of them memorized.... Travis thinks Connor may be reading... this is great motivation for Mr. Travis to step it up a notch!  Travis enjoys math, he doesn't quite see the need for reading....lol) When I read the story to him I accidentally read one word wrong. I was quickly corrected.  Wow. He never ceases to amaze me.

He loves to read books. He has several of them memorized so it sounds like he is reading.  Most of them are actually songs but a few aren't.  I love to listen to him when he doesn't know I can hear him.

Today in the car on the way home from church he informed us that he has a pet cow. We asked where he was keeping it. He said it was at home. We asked what the cow's name was and we were told Cow.  Then he said that Cow actually lived at the zoo. But he would like to have a cow at home too.  He would also like a horse.  I think he needs to live on a farm!

He loves to talk about Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops and Brontosaurus. He pronounces them very clearly. (Can't say the same for other people in our household.  lol)  He even has told me that there are meat eater dinosaurs. And some other ones too.

He LOVES to eat his fruits and vegetables. He doesn't really like meat.  He is a self proclaimed vegetarian. In order for us to get him to eat meat we tell him it will give him big muscles.  Then he takes a bite (never more than 2 or 3 bites though) and proceeds to flex his biceps so we can see his growing muscles. He would also like to be a wrestler one day. Just like the guys on TV.

Connor runs around, throws his arms in the air and yells, "I SAVED THE WORLD!!"  Evidently there was a fire somewhere and he saved everybody.  My superhero!

P.S.- My mom reminded me of something funny Connor said the other day when she was babysitting him.  He told her, "Grammy, when I grow up I want to be a paleontologist and dig up dinosaur  bones.  Or maybe I will be a veterinarian.  But I don't want to be an equestrian."  Where does he get his vocabulary??!!

Didn't we already do this?

Yes!  Going to the Diamondback's game as a family went so well the first time we decided to do it again!  We had a super good time. I tried getting a family picture... this one would have been perfect if Connor had looked at the camera.

 After this one I gave up...

 Daddy and his boys. Crazy to think that it was back in 1998 when Daryle and I sat in these same exact seats for the first time.  At the time Travis Lee was the big star of the team. I remember Daryle and I sitting here talking about names of our "future children". He said, what do you think of the name Travis if we ever had a boy? I said, you know, I like that name.  It wasn't until 2004 until we got to officially use the name. Now here we are, all sitting in the same seats as a family of 4.   That's nuts.

 Mommy and Travis.

 Mommy and Connor.  (Yes, even Connor was named after a dback player too.... Conor Jackson... I know. We are kinda sick about these things. Actually, it was the only way I could get my husband to agree with me on names!  LOL)

 At one point I glanced over and saw this.  Travis is holding Connor's leg on top of his.  They actually were comfy and getting along quite well.  Very nice.

 How many three year olds do you know who cheer for the game and actually look and act as if they are actually understanding what is going on?

 We left our seats and roamed around the stadium doing "kid stuff".  Connor had to see Baxter. Travis had to do the batting cages. Then, around the seventh inning we headed back to our seats. It didn't take long until I looked over and saw Connor completely passed out on Daryle's shoulder. He was worn out.  This hardly ever happens. Daryle was on cloud 9.  Watching his team, winning, in his seats, with Connor sleeping on him. 

Connor looks like his hands are folded.... "Please let the  Diamondback's win!"

 I think this is one of my new favorites of the boys.  I love to watch Travis be such a good big brother to Connor. When we are at home I wonder.  I must say that when we are out in public it is so nice to see him be the protector and teacher.  It is nice to watch Travis take him under his wing.

Tonight Daryle and Travis are at his first basketball practice. Yes, Daryle is coaching. I think he is addicted.

Connor still loves his preschool. Tonight he had his first "homework".  We all had to trace our feet and cut them out. 

As for me, I am tired. I think I will go to bed early.  Good night!

7 Years

It's been 7 years. In some ways it seems like not that long ago. In other ways it seems like a lifetime ago. Regardless of how you look at it 7 years ago Daryle and I flew to the other side of the world... literally... to find our son, Travis.  Many details I remember clearly. Other memories are already fading for me.  It's a good thing we took lots of pictures and videos! Plus those were the years before blogging, so most of my thoughts are written in my journal.  The process we went through to get Travis was daunting. To say my faith was put to the test is an understatement.  Yet day by day, week by week, month by month, we held out faith and hope... and said lots and lots and lots of prayers.... that it would work out. There were days that I wondered if this child we were waiting for actually existed at all!  How crazy was it to be head over heals in love with a small picture of this baby who was on the other side of the world?  We waited 10 1/2 L O N G months until we finally got to meet him. The good part was in those days we only had to make one trip. Thank goodness. Otherwise I know I would have gone off the deep end.  Here is our first family picture after Travis was home for about a month. I had waited years to have a family picture. (Perhaps this is why we get them often.... I like to see the kids grow and change!) 

He was such a peanut. At 16 months old he weighed 15 pounds. This outfit he is wearing was 6-9 months.  He has spent a lot of time catching up.  7 years ago he wasn't even close to being on the growth charts. Now he is thriving and is in the 50th percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight.  For those of  you just now bringing home your kiddos who are tiny, don't worry, give them lots of love and nurturing and your kids will thrive too!

I love this one. It was the first picture we took of him.  When we visited him that morning we took video. When we came for our afternoon visit we brought the camera.  Travis doesn't like looking at these pictures much. He has been known to say, "Mom, why does that baby look so sad?"  It breaks my heart. I don't know if it is good or bad that he doesn't recognize himself.

Here is our first picture together.

I just love how they are looking at each other here.

Fast forward 7 years and here we are today.  Look at him puffing out his chest, such a goofball!

It wouldn't be a Gotcha Day photo if we didn't get a family picture with Connor too! (Picture taking wasn't going so well that night....)

Last weekend all four of us went to the Diamondback's game. We had an awesome time!  Here are the boys just before the game started.  We snuck down into our regular season ticket holder seats.  Our tickets for that night were in the nose bleed section.  We spent one inning there and then we roamed the kids area for the rest of the game. There is so much for the kids to do, it really is a lot of fun! 

Connor is in love with the "Big Heads". He now runs around the house pretending to be them. He runs all over giving high fives and "knuckles". Tonight I asked for a hug and was told, "Big Heads don't give hugs!"  But then he came and gave me one anyway. He is such a sweetie! I took their pictures with each one. (There are four in all.... bear with me!  lol)

I just wanted a little proof that I was there too.... this was in our nose bleed section. We were up so high that Connor was terrified. He just kept asking to leave. Poor little guy!

Of course we had to see Baxter, the team mascot.  We were at the end of the line so we didn't get a good picture with him.  However, we did get autographed pictures of him! Next time we will get in line earlier.

This is often what we find Connor doing in the bathroom.  He likes to comb his hair and check himself out. Isn't he a bit young for this??!!?

This past week has been rough on Travis.  We were at the doctor on Monday with the usual sinus infection.  We know the drill by now. However, on Thursday he gave us a scare.  At the end of the day we realized he had been having a severe asthma attack. Great.  Thank goodness we acted early and did not end up in the emergency room.  Now he is just on an obnoxious amount of medicine.  6 to be exact. I hate having him on those steroids. But what can you do. A guy has gotta breathe, right?  Anyway, today he laid low and decided to create another store in his room. (Budding entrepreneur? )  He got his cash register and set it up on his bed. He also got some plastic bags for his shoppers to put their loot in.  He thinks of everything!  (Pardon his messy room... this was before we went on our cleaning spree!)

He even attached price tags. He went in the garage and brought in some drinks to sell in his store because he "wanted to use real things" in his store.

Take note of this belt at the bottom of the picture. Travis brought this home from California this summer. Apparently it was Daryle's when he was a boy. They found it at grandpa's house.  I didn't realize it was there until I uploaded this picture. Boy the stories that belt could tell!  I wonder what kinds of things my grandchildren will take home that belonged to my boys??  The possibilities are endless. For now I think I will enjoy them while they are little. We are so thankful for our boys.

Happy 7th Gotcha Day Travis! We love you to the moon and back a million times over! 

Mommy and  Daddy

XOXOXOXO

Family Fun

I just picked up my camera to look at the pictures Daryle took last night and realized I forgot about our fun last Saturday.  For the last year or so Daryle has been taking Travis to Home Depot on the first Saturday of the month to make a craft project.  In June I took Connor and Travis to make our Father's Day presents.  Last Saturday all four of us went together. It definitely takes two adults for this chaos!  lol  Here are the boys with their cute aprons before we left the house.

 Travis is very carefully hammering nails in his pencil box.

 Connor doesn't like loud noise.  (Unless of course the noise is coming from him!)  I wanted to cover my ears too. Picture about 40 kids hammering away all at the same time....  At least he still had a smile on his face!

 Yes, Travis knows how to work the camera.

 Decorating their boxes with stickers.

 Who's that??!!  Oh, Big Daddy doing some painting and having a blast.

 Connor's completed pencil box.  I guess I didn't get a picture of Travis'. His turned out cute too!

 Very proud Connor.

 Cool Kid. I think he is trying to flash an ASU sign or something...

I am so glad Travis is now in second grade. I really want him to develop a love of reading and learning. He likes to learn, but hasn't found his niche yet as far as reading goes. Needless to say it is like pulling teeth to get him to pick up a book and read. This year part of his homework is to read every night, write it down in the reading log, and turn it in on Friday. If this is not completed, no afternoon recess on Friday. You will be in the classroom reading. This has inspired him to do his reading. There is still a small battle, but not as bad as it used to be.  One day this week I told him to read something to Connor. So, he took Connor's favorite books out side and started reading to him. I tried to get some shots, but it is kind of hard through the glass!  (Also, don't mind our falling apart swing set.... the summer heat around here really takes a toll on things! Even the cute green awning has torn and blown away... If it got cold around here I would say we would use it for firewood soon... but we don't even have a fireplace!)  Needless to say, I hope Travis continues reading to Connor, it is so sweet to watch!

Connor is going to his own preschool/day care now. He must be working on the color yellow.  I was just impressed that he did a good job coloring in the lines!! (It's the little things that make me proud!)

 

 Last night Daryle took Travis to the  Rattlers game.  They are the local arena football team.  They played in the arena bowl "Superbowl" last night. As Travis informed me when he got home... "they lost by a hair mom!"

Today all four of us will be attending a Diamondback's game.  I am pretty excited because Connor is doing so much better with these things.  I have low expectations which hopefully will lead to a wonderful evening!  (Keeping my fingers crossed!  lol)

Sleeping Angel

Most of our days are filled with two rambunctious boys running around our home. Playing, fighting, arguing, cuddling, running, jumping, climbing, reading, hopping, skipping, screaming, more arguing, more cuddling, etc. etc. etc.!  It all seems to be erased in a moment when they fall asleep. Especially when they look like this....

I am sure when they are grown up and have their own families that these are the memories I will remember and cherish the most.  Daryle took this picture with his phone last night, he thought it was so cute that he fell asleep with his hands folded as if  he were praying.  Precious.

I also love it when he runs to me, hugs me and says, "MY family!!"  My heart melts.

By the way, do you think he has enough pillows??!