Movin' on up

This weekend we unexpectedly scored 2 new loooking carseats that someone was giving away for free. One mans trash is another mans treasure. So now we're able to have 2 carseats in Pats car and 2 in mine which is awesome because then we don't have to rock/paper/scissors which car we put the carseats in everytime we go somewhere. Things sometimes got ugly using that method. Because of this we moved Cole out of his baby carseat. To some people this is not a big deal. To me this is knife in my heart, tear inducing as it means Cole is taking one step towards toddlerhood and away from babyhood. Some of the best advice I've ever received was at Fin's baby shower where an old family friend counseled me to not mourn each new stage that comes, but instead embrace it. I try to live that way, but I'm so stinkin sentimental. I just want my boys to always be babies (but still sleep through the night) and always need me the way they do now (except when I'm trying to eat, or go to the bathroom alone, or get the mail without a parade of little friends with me). Fin was digging his new carseat Doesn't he look smug in his big boy carseat? He's taunting me like he's leaving for college or something. Little stinker. Together...yet seperate enough to not be able to mess with each other. As God intended. We took our drive with new carseats to the Y where we made the boys do sprints, squats and work on their verticals. Just because you can't crawl yet doesn't mean you can't learn to dunk. J/k but we did introduce Cole to his possible future. Cole was wondering why I would allow this. Cole trying to remind us the ball is bigger than him. Then Fin wanted to feel the rush after a dunk. It looks like he's having fun here but really he is shattering glass with his scream.

All kidding aside, we don't care what, if any, sports the boys play. It is special though for me to see Pat share his love of basketball with his sons in such a fun way. Fin loves to go "shoot hoops" with his dad and it's a neat bond they share.

More or Less

Can I just say how much I love summer? I mean I luuurve it. Even more than sleep, which is saying a lot! It's like the second it becomes so hot that rainbows on your feet are a must and sunscreen in your purse is a necessity, my Becca returns to me. You know, the Becca that winter stole from me, that's right I said stole! This is a little view into what we've been up to this week... Every morning we fill our water bottles and head out. We usually stop at the Y first to get a quick workout in before we head to the library or the park. It's usually air conditioning or cool water for me these days...Mama don't like to sweat! This is Fin's secret reading corner that he made behind the couch. He LOVES going to the library and bringing his books back there. I so want him to love reading as much as I do and he seems to so far. We've done a little less playing puzzles inside and a little more playing in dirt outside. We cheered Pat on at his bball game. Fin cared less about them losing and more about whether that meant we were still getting milkshakes after the game. A man after my own heart. We took less bubble bath tubbies in the evenings and more quick showers at the pool. We spent less time concentrating on getting the kids in bed by their 7:30 bedtime, and more time learning to catch fireflys. Fin was so proud of his new buddy but it must be noted that after I took this picture he quickly opened up the little gas tank door of my car, stuffed his new friend in and slammed the little door shut...before I could blink. Poor guy didn't stand a chance. Cole was less then impressed with catching bugs...until he discovered how good grass tastes. There is nothing sweeter to me then two scrubbed, tired boys wearing matching cookie monster pajamas.

O how I love the summer!

Memorial Weekend according to the Stephenson

Sunday we had a Stephenson bash at Apex Park to celebrate 5 family birthdays. We had a great time filled with good Denise food, water fights, and Pat squashing Fins pet worm by accident. Cole came ready to party as usual

Before we left the boys had some play time in the crib together. Hats were modeled.

Fin and Sammy water fighting it out

Cole and I hanging. Poor lovey was a sweating fool.

Uncle Mike and Coley Bear

How we all felt at the end of the day.

We feel so blessed with the family we have. I love that the boys are growing up so close to both sides of the family. We also don't take for granted the babysitters we have either. Holla!

Memorial Weekend according to the Keegans

So we had a crazy weekend. 4 parties in 24 hours. Cait's graduation, relatives visiting from PA, 5 Stephenson birthdays celebrated. Umpteen cupcakes consumed. I'm going to do breakdown the weekend from 2 perspectives to make it easier. And I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking as I'm still in the midst of a sugar hangover. It's not pretty folks.

The grad and Cole paying homage in his baby way

Our entertainment of the evening was Fin being a robot.

Suuuuper Caiiiit!

Family pic minus sleeping baby Cole.

We are so proud of Cait and had such a great weekend celebrating her. She is a beautiful girl inside and out and one of my best friends. Also she's now Pat's #1 sister now b/c she's going to State, sorry girls.

Don't talk about it, be about it.

Well after 2 months of threatening to do it, he's finally done it. Cole has a tooth.

We've been on the lookout for a loooong time as he's all the classic symptoms.

Not sleeping at night? Check. And by the way Cole, it is not necessary for us to check in with each other every 1 1/2 hours in the night. I am the same at night as I am in the morning...only grumpier.

Chewing on random objects such as straws and rubber ducky heads? Check. Note: he's chewing on a straw from an empty drink below. We haven't started giving him milkshakes...yet.

So it's an exciting day around here. Fin was over the moon. He keeps saying "Good job Coley Bear, I'm so proud of you big brudder". He's still a little confused who's the big and who's the little brother. You'd think it'd be self explanatory :o) He also was loving sticking his finger in Coles mouth to feel the tooth. Note past tense. There may have been a gagging incident where Fin was seeing how far his finger would fit down Cole's throat.

Somedays you win, somedays you...survive

Somedays you let your two year old watch more television than you'd like b/c you NEED to clean and you don't want to do it with his "help" because his ratio of spraying Febreeze is half a bottle per room and your house smells like a 70 year old lady wearing cheap perfume.

Somedays you swear that today is the day you will finally move the piles of clean folded laundry from the floor of your room to their rightful place...instead of just doing a load a day and adding to the existing piles.

Somedays you throw an assortment of random objects to your baby because they're new and interesting and will keep him occupied for a longer time. Plastic hammer and water bottle anyone?

Sooooo motherhood is hard ya'll! This week has left me humbled, bewildered and more than a little sleep deprived. I love my boys, I LOVE and am so grateful I can stay home with them but it is by far my hardest job. I think that's a good thing b/c I am daily reminded that I do not have everything figured out but the Lord does and he is always ready and willing to listen to my vents (which may or may not have the phrase "why won't he just poop??" in them a little too often" lately).

The Sodfather

One of the perks of Pat's job is that they don't mind if he landscapes his lawn for free. We had planned for awhile to finally grind up our backyard and lay down sod on Saturday. Unfortunately the morning of, I woke up DYING of the stomach flu. Seriously, I was actually wishing that silly man had been right about the rapture yesterday. The highlight of my day was Fin bringing me soup in bed in the evening and shouting "Happy Mothers Day!". I guess he thought I was living the good life in bed yesterday. I would rather have had my toenails pulled out.

So poor Pat, or 'The Sodfather', as he refers to himself had to tackle this project without my help with it or the boys. Super Aunt Sarah swooped in and saved the day by watching the boys for most of the day which we were so grateful for.

We're pretty happy with how it all turned out. It's so nice to have a backyard the boys can run around and play in now. Pat's about as sore, sleep deprived and dehydrated as they come, but that's all part of the job description in being 'The Sodfather'.

Fin kept putting a large piece of bark on his head and saying, "Look I'm a bug" in a weird monotone voice. Odd child :o)