Busy Day

Today was a busy day from start to finish!

The great news is that my parents are here.  Having two more sets of hands sure helps and we get a lot more accomplished! 

Cannon is so excited to have "gram" and "gramp" here.  It seems like he has different names for them all of the time!  Today, he made waffles for grandpa. 
We went to Jumpin' Jack and Jill to bounce some energy out.  Cannon saw a delivery truck in the parking lot and asked the driver if he could look at his truck.  The driver was very kind and let Cannon sit up in the seat!  Heather met us at the jump place and I enjoyed catching up with her.  Cannon had fun jumping and climbing and playing air hockey with Grandpa.  Colson took it all in, then took a nap! 
Later, Cannon taught Grandma and Grandpa how to play Cariboo Island.  They were all sitting at the table playing the game when I left for school.  They also put together puzzles, played with trucks, blew bubbles and did a lot more!  Cannon kept them very busy! 
At school, I was able to accomplish everything I needed to and feel good about welcoming 26 kids tomorrow.  The first day of school is always exciting!
Cannon and Grandpa went to Costco together and got samples from all of the vendors!  I love that they hung out together and had so much fun doing something so simple....Costco and free samples! 
Colson got to spend the afternoon with Grandma and they played a lot!  Grandma also made a peach crisp and made some baby food for Colson!
After running an errand after leaving school, I headed home and we had yummy pizza, salad and fruit for dinner.  I mashed up a banana and stirred in a little milk for Colson.  He ate every bit and probably would have licked the bowl had I given it to him! 
Colson went down for bed easy.  Cannon had a lot of excuses for staying up and keeping the light on! 

I'm looking forward to the first day of school tomorrow!

And a few photos from today!

Cannon got to sit in a big rig today!

Cannon climbing at Jumpin' Jack and Jill.

Cannon loved running through the sprinkler tonight...fully clothed!

Colson chewing on pizza crust.



This Makes My Day

Meetings all day today and yesterday.
Ice Cream Social this afternoon where we met our new students.
It was a busy and tiring two days. 

However...

Here is a message/quote I received tonight from a parent who has a child in my room:

First grader: "I've been wanting Mrs. Ross for a teacher and now it's a dream come true!"

And the parent wrote to me:
If that's not a great way to start the school year, I don't know what is!! :)

Now doesn't that just make my day!

Enjoying every moment!

Back to Work!

Today I officially headed back to work. 

I got out of the house without any huge catastrophe.  I remembered everything I needed.  I got to work on time. 

We had a good first day and got a lot accomplished.  It was nice to be back and see everyone and it was great to work with my team. 

Cannon and Colson both did well at Jacie's house.  Colson took two naps.  Hooray for that!  Cannon played hard in the morning with Alex and then napped for 3+ hours in the afternoon!  Hooray for that! 

We all had a nice evening...Chris and Cannon mowed the lawn.  Colson and I got dinner ready (leftovers) and we all sat down to eat together.  Cannon fed Colson some sweet potatoes!  Very cute and it was the first time Colson has had a veggie!  Cannon and I put together some puzzles, played a board game and then he heard Chris outside working on the motor home and he was out the door to 'help!' 

Colson was asleep by 6:45.  Cannon was in bed by 8:00. 

I was able to start getting things checked off my to do list for school and Chris finished his outside chores and was able to watch some DVR'd shows. 

Cannon feeding Colson!

Cannon running the bath water for Colson.
Colson is watching.

Enjoying every moment.

Gig Harbor

We headed over to Gig Harbor Saturday morning.  It's always a fun place to go and we had a good time walking around, sitting in the sun, people watching and visiting with other boaters. 

Cannon is in his element on the boat.  He LOVES it.  We got a lot of, "He is so cute!" from people. And it's true...Cannon is pretty darn cute. 

Colson just hangs out and goes with the flow.  He napped pretty well on Saturday but not on Sunday.  This kid will be one that is going to keep me hopping.  Just when I think I have things figured out with him! 

We came home in the fog today and then I spent a few hours at school.  I needed to be there longer, but I had Colson with me.  I'm hoping it will all come together.  I've got a lot of work ahead of me tonight and tomorrow. 

This evening, I was giving Colson a bath and watching out the kitchen window as Chris and Cannon were kicking the soccer ball around.  Colson was sitting in the tub in the kitchen sink just playing and splashing.  He is intrigued by the running water.  It was a good feeling to be able to watch all of my boys...so happy and content. 

Here are a few pictures.  Both cameras ran out of battery at different times this weekend.  I took some photos from my phone, but didn't get as many as I normally would. 

Ice cream....of course!



Mt. Rainer Saturday night.  It was a beautiful, warm evening.



Coming home in the fog.

Colson playing in the running water.



Resting after playing soccer.



Enjoying every moment.

Today I Want to Remember

Today I want to remember Cannon sitting on the floor, hunched over the white board, writing letters. 
Today I want to remember how wonderfully warm it was at 9am. 
Today I want to remember how Colson tries so hard to get up while he is laying on his back.  He lifts his head and his legs at the same time!
Today I want to remember our visit to Pioneer Park. Cannon had a blast in the wading pool and Colson loved watching all of the kids run around.  Colson put his feet in the water and didn't mind being splashed!
Today I want to remember how Colson ate pears for the first time and loved them.
Today I want to remember how great Cannon plays by himself and with me.  I just love listening to him and enjoy watching him. 
Today I want to remember that I really wanted to get my plan book completed and plans written but we still don't have a schedule yet.  School starts in 6 days!
Today I want to remember how Colson took two long naps.  I'm thankful he is finally getting into a routine and I love how happy he wakes up.
Today I want to remember Cannon playing with his little truck, boat and trailer outside.  He was backing them in the green tub, which he had tipped over and blocked up with pieces of wood.  Cannon was half in the tub, backing the trailer into the water. 
Today I want to remember how Cannon calls Colson, "Little buddy."  Cannon was excellent with Colson today, playing with him nicely, talking to him, making him laugh and helping me hold him up.
Today I want to remember how Colson knocked off the roll bar padding that we are using on the counter so he doesn't hit his head (yes, roll bar padding.  Is that white trash?!) and Cannon explaining to Colson how he shouldn't take it off again.
Today I want to remember what a good time I had at the staff party.  I ate way too much! 
Today I want to remember how happy I am to have two wonderful boys and a fabulous husband in my life!

Cannon put his construction hat on Colson!

Cannon is always creative!

So much fun at the park!

Colson biting on his spoon.  He's got pears all over his face!

Enjoying every moment.

Everyday Life

Today was just another day, yet it was OUR day, were we were TOGETHER.  I had a ton of stuff on my mind for school and lots to accomplish, however I found myself putting that to the side and just enjoying the time with Cannon and Colson.  I started to take a lot of pictures but as the day went on I stopped.  I did think about grabbing the camera, but just wanted to stay in the moment.  So I ignored the photo opportunity and just took it all in.  After the extremely busy and stressful day yesterday, and knowing that school is right around the corner, I needed today to remind myself what makes me happy.  I needed to give all my attention to Cannon and Colson and enjoy what they were saying and doing.  So I did.  And it felt good.   

It was a hot day and we played outside, blew bubbles, did a lot of drawing and coloring, built with blocks and did some pretend play.  We rode bikes, played in the water, blew more bubbles, found out that crayons melt in the sun, read books, talked, and just had a good day.  We laughed.  We cooked together.  We had lunch with daddy.  Colson took two long naps.  Cannon had toys all over the bonus room.  We talked about going to the park or somewhere else, but Cannon wanted to stay home and I was okay with that.  I love that we have so much fun just right here at home.

After I got the bike down from the ceiling hooks (which took me many tries and quite awhile), Cannon said to me, "You were so brave!  You got it down, mom!"  He had a lot more to say and I wish I could remember it all.  But I was his hero at that point and I was proud that he thought I was brave!  Love that kid! 

Colson is nearly sitting up on his own and will stay that way for awhile. Then he'll get leaning over too far and plop down on his face!  Poor kid.  Tonight while taking a bath, he got his feet up on the edge of the tub and was leaned back.  It was like he was kicked back...relaxing in his tub after a long day.  I should have got a picture of that.  Oh well.

I was able to finish a few things for school tonight and will go up tomorrow night...and again over the weekend.  And, the dishes did get washed and put away. The laundry was washed and dried but not folded.  I put together a quick scrapbook page.  I made it to the store to buy groceries.

Enjoying every moment! 

Cannon and Colson

Today I thought I would just share some of my thoughts on the boys.

Cannon:
Cannon is coming up on some big milestones...he will be turning 4 in October and will start preschool in September!  These are exciting times.  One of Cannon's strengths is how articulate he is.  He is a good thinker and you can see him process things as he is learning and when he is talking to you.  I've seen an increase in pretend play from him, usually surrounding things that we have done or that he has overheard.  This summer Cannon has also taken off with his writing...learning to write his name well, with letters that are formed correctly.  He is writing letters and nonsense words on his own and he is starting to pick up on listening for letter sounds in words.  Cannon still loves books and we read daily.  I hope this is a trait that he continues to have throughout life....the love of books.  Trucks and trailers are still a favorite thing to play with for Cannon.  He has many and will lay on the floor with them and play for a long time. This summer Cannon has enjoyed playing outside with the sprinkler and hose.  He loves the water!  He's filled up containers, made mud and sprayed everything within reach.  Cannon is a wonderful big brother to Colson.  Some of the things I heard from Cannon recently were, "It's okay, buddy.  We'll be right back."  and "Can I find your tickle?"  Cannon is a bit rough with Colson and we are constantly reminding him to be soft.  Cannon loves spending time with Chris, no matter what he is doing.  They are often found together working in the garage, out in the trailer, riding around on the 3 wheeler, mowing the lawn, or snuggled up on the couch.  Cannon is very sensitive and doesn't want to do anything wrong.  Yet, he is at the age where he wants to do things his way and only when he wants to do it....on Cannon time.  He has a bit of an attitude at times which I'm sure is typical.  However, we are trying to work on that!  We are very proud of who Cannon has become so far and look forward to watching him continue to learn and grow. 

Colson:
Colson hits milestones constantly!  He is nearing 6 months old and we just love to watch everything he does.  He rarely likes to lay down anymore and will try and sit up on his own.  When we pull him up, he is almost able to sit on his own.  It won't be long.  He really likes standing the best and often times, refuses to bend his legs when we are putting him in the Boppy or highchair. He loves baths and sits on his own in the little tub in the kitchen sink and plays.  Lately, he's been splashing and getting everything wet!  Colson absolutely loves Cannon. He watches everything he does and Cannon can always get a smile out of Colson.  Colson doesn't have any one favorite toy.  He plays with whatever is around him and even likes Tupperware, spoons, lids, boxes, paper, etc.  Anything that he can grab.  And just about everything goes into his mouth!  Colson does like sitting in the exersaucer and loves to play with the toys attached to it.  It's fun to watch him.  He gets so excited!  This past week Colson has been "growling" a lot.  We've been calling him, "The growler."  He's really just 'talking' or making noises but it does sound like growling.  It's quite funny to listen to.  Colson likes to look at books, however his attention span is short with them.  He just wants to put them in his mouth!  He also likes it when I sing to him.  Colson is getting bigger and starting to get baby rolls.  He's filling out everywhere and is about 16 pounds.  He is eating rice cereal once a day and seems to like it pretty well.  Colson likes to watch and observe everything that is going on around him and I know that is how he is learning.  We do a lot of talking and 'narrating' what we are doing.  I've started to introduce some sign language to him with the hopes he'll pick up on them in the coming months.  We feel so lucky that Colson has joined our family.  He puts a smile to our faces many times a day! 

We are sure blessed to have two wonderful boys who light up our days.  We are enjoying every moment with them and can't imagine what our lives would be like without them in it! 

Enjoying every moment.

The ABC's of Our Day

A is for the apple I ate at lunch.

B is for books we read, Cannon’s bike that he rode around school and the blog that I love to write!

C is Colson crying at nap time L, my camera that I use a lot, carrots that Cannon and Chris ate and of course...chocolate chips! (my favorite!)   

D is for drool (boy Colson sure does drool a lot!) and drive…Cannon likes to drive the car from the mailboxes to the driveway.

E is for emptying the dishwasher, exercise, emailing and the exersaucer that Colson loves to play in!

F is for facebook, fruit salad that I made, and fabric that I stapled up to the back of some bookshelves in my classroom.

G is for gum that I chew and giggle...which we do a lot!

H is for the haircut that Chris gave Cannon tonight.

I is for ice cream that Cannon and I ate today!  (chocolate chop mint)

J is for the junk mail I received today.

K is for kisses that we give a lot and for K-Mart where we went this afternoon.

L is for lunch with Daddy.  We love it when he comes home for lunch and we can see him in the middle of the day.

M is for mom, mommy, mama which I am called and of course, memories.

N is for nectarines and Nutterbutter cookies that Cannon had.

O is for orange juice for breakfast and oil that was leaking from the Chevelle. :(

P is for a pineapple that I cut and was so juicy, the pictures I organized today and prayers.

Q is for quotes that I like to collect.

R is for the rain that started to fall today and rice cereal that Colson ate tonight.

S is for school where we went today and ‘specials.’  (the word Cannon uses for treats)

T is for the trucks and trailers we played with today.

U is for uploading pictures.

V is for VERY tired and a bit stressed.  I'm starting to get overwhelmed with projects with school right around the corner. 

W is for waffles for breakfast, the Week in the Life project that I am still working on, and a white board to practice drawing, writing letters and numbers.

X is for....yeah, right....like I can think of something for X!

Y is for yucky stains on the carpet from Cannon's whiteboard crayons! 

Z is for zurberts that I give to Colson which makes him laugh!

And a few photos Chris took of Cannon before he cut his hair!  Too funny!  I'm so glad Chris grabs the camera at moments like these!  Priceless....especially the last one!

Enjoying every moment.

Family Time

Today was a great day and it was wonderful to be together as a family.  We didn't spend the day anywhere special, but we spent the day together, snd that is what counts.  We hung out at home, worked together and separately...but we were always within shouting distance.  I enjoy being able to walk out to the garage and chat with Chris or ask a question.  I like that we can stop a task and all have breakfast together (thank you Chris for a wonderful, homemade breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and homefries.)  It was a great day, we accomplished a lot, and while doing it, we enjoyed being together. 

We spent the afternoon cruising in the Chevelle.  We went to two car shows:  One in Auburn and one in Sumner.  It was fun to look at old cars and not be in a rush.  However, Cannon was not in the mood to look at cars.  He was hot, whiny and wanted to go home!  Yes, he tested our patience today!

Chris worked on the Jet Boat today and got the floor painted, a light put in, hoses cut and fit and more. 

I worked on chores around the house, scrapbooked some and worked on a project for my classroom. 

Cannon did a lot of everything.  He played in the backyard in the water, worked with Chris on the Jet Boat, rode his bike, took his training wheels off, practiced riding without training wheels, raised the jack on the trailer up and down a zillion times, rode on the 3 wheeler with Chris, ate ice cream, took a long bath and finally hit the sack. 

Colson was up early this morning and we spent time together before Chris and Cannon got up playing, reading and talking.  He watched me work in the kitchen and also sat with me while I worked on the computer.  He took a long nap this morning!  He then played in the exersaucer, sat outside in the garage and watched Chris and Cannon, sat with us while we ate breakfast, watched as I folded clothes and sorted through all of his clothes.  He slept again when we went cruising in the Chevelle and took another long nap!  He had a great day with all of us.  He didn't want to go to bed tonight, however.  He woke up after an hour and cried uncontrollably.  He didn't want to nurse, didn't want to be rocked or held to sleep....just wanted to be awake.  He was happy when he was up and with us.  Smiling and talking!  CRAZY!  It was hot up in his room and after trying to get him back to sleep for 2 hours, we finally moved his little travel bed in the downstairs bathroom and he was out!  Never a dull moment!

And a some photos from today:

Checking out the cars at the "All Chevelle"
car show in Auburn.

They have a great 'kid' area at Sugarbabies.
Cannon played while I shopped today!

Heading down Main Street in Sumner looking at the cars.

Sucking on an ice pack.  It was hot today!

And 'gumming' and apple.

Working (or resting!) on the jet boat.

Cannon moving around on the creeper. 
Whatever keeps him busy!

Cannon is practicing balancing.

Blood, which is typical for Cannon. 
He wasn't even riding...just trying to get off!

Enjoying every moment.

Sunny Saturday

Hooray for a sunny, beautiful day! 

The morning was spent working at the canal.  Weed eating, spraying weed killer, cutting back black berries.  We enjoyed the views of the canal! 

The afternoon was spent on Ray and MaryAnne's boat celebrating MaryAnne's birthday.  Homer and Debbie saved us a spot at Joemma State Park and we hung out on the dock.  Cannon and MaryAnne fished but didn't catch anything.  We ate well (as always) and enjoyed being together.

Enjoying every moment.

Conversations with Cannon

I love the conversations that I have with Cannon.  He is full of knowledge and is very opinionated. 

Here are just a few of the conversations I was able to record from today:

Cannon:  I found all of these books. So we can read them.

Me:  Okay, are you ready to read?

Cannon:  Yup.  We can read them over here in the sunlight.  I want to start in the contents.  (the table of contents)

Cannon: I’m going to go to stay in my underwear.

Me:  Okay, that’s cool.  We're going to the store.

Cannon:  Just kidding. 

Cannon:  Mom, I have to go potty.  I’m going to go outside.

Me:  Okay, go.

Cannon:  Come with me.

Me: You don’t need me.  Go outside where ever you want.

(after a few seconds)

Cannon:  Bees. Bees. Bees.

Me:  Where?

Cannon:  By the jeep. 

Me: Then go potty off the deck. 

Cannon:  I don’t want the bees to come and sting my penis.

(This is what I hear as he is sitting on a large toy car which he has placed in a tub of water outside:)

I’m tied up to the dock.  Will you untie me? 

Let's see if it starts. 

Watch me go. I’m going to power it up. 

See right here?  This is what makes it go.

(Yes, I untied the ropes for him.  AND...I went for a 'ride' in the boat!)

Me: Go get some of your juice.

Cannon: Yeah, it’s darn hot out here!

Cannon:  There is a leak.  The valves are leaking.

Me:  What are you going to do about that?

Cannon:  I need to drain it.  Will you get me a plastic container?

And here are a few photos from today:

Can you say, "Tan line?!"

Run! 

Love those eyes!

Such a sweet, happy, wonderful boy! 

Enjoying every moment!

Thursday Thoughts

Today I had an all day class so that meant a break from the flexible summer schedule and a little preview to what it will be like once I head back to work the last week of August. 

Some thoughts from today...

• Lots of pre-planning the night before to be ready for this morning!  Bags packed and by the front door.  Lunches packed and ready.  Clothes set out. 
• I had to wake Cannon up at 7:10 this morning.  He has been sleeping in until almost 9am. So this was early for him and he DID NOT want to wake up! 
• Colson fell asleep in the car on the way up to Jacie's this morning. So he took his first nap in his car seat.  He had a rough time the rest of the day with naps.  Maybe it was a new place?  Maybe it was not having his crib?  Maybe it was because there were other distractions?  He did take two bottles from Jacie, which was positive.  And he loved playing with Annabelle who is 6 weeks older than him. 
• My class was good.  It was a Facilitator Training for ProCert.  This year is the big switch over, where all of the candidates have to send out their portfolio to be graded by outside scorers instead of Holly and I grading it.  The process will be more similar to National Board.  We learned a lot about what will stay the same and what will change. 
• Cannon had a great day playing at Jacie's. When I got there to pick them up, Cannon was riding the bike outside.  He also played a lot in the back yard with the toys and enjoyed it when Madi was pushing him on the swing.  He loves playing trucks with Alex, too.
• Colson went to bed early...about 6:30 pm.  He was tired!
• Cannon and Chris put on the twist throttle on Cannon's quad.
• Chris and Greg worked on motorhome issues, but weren't able to fix them.  
• Cannon had a popscicle AND ice cream before bed.
• Cannon's lights were out at 8:00pm.  After a quick shower, we read 3 books, practiced counting to 20, practiced writing his name and did some brain teasers.  He got the brain teasers from Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Al and he LOVES them.  We do some every night. 
• After the boys went to bed, I was able to run, scrapbook, check email, clean the kitchen, watch some tutorials on Photoshop Elements and write the blog.  I'm going to bed early tonight; at least I hope so. I plan to sit with a new magazine I received and just relax and hopefully have the light out before 11pm!

Here are a few pictures from today:

Cannon making a lake. You can see he has his truck and
jet ski that he was backing into the lake!

Colson having  little dinner in only
a diaper and a bib!

Ice cream for dessert!

Bath time for Colson.

Enjoying every moment.

Happy Moments

Happiness is simply the sum of many small, happy moments.

This was on the front of the anniversary card from mom and dad. 
I absolutely love the quote. 

Here are some sweet boys who fill our home with happiness:

Cannon: Almost 4 yrs old
Colson: 5 months old

My days are filled with small, happy moments...many of them created by the boys. 
My heart is full of love for these two. 
They make me laugh. They sometimes make me cry.
They teach me patience.  They teach me to love.
They teach me to find joy in the little things.
They make me slow down. 
They make me realize what is really important.
I AM blessed. 

Enjoying every moment.