Ice Skating & NICU

Last week we had a couple of new adventures. We went back to the hospital where the boys were born for a visit. It was the first time we were voluntarily back since they were born (4 years). It was great visiting with the NICU staff and nurse practitioners and for them to see how great the boys are doing now. They were all amazed at how well they are doing since they were so sick when they were babies. The boys really didn't know what to think, they just played with the fish tank and ran around. We explained to them what we were doing and who the nurses were, but they were more interested in the fish. But all in all it was a great visit.

After that we went to Discovery Green to go ice skating! It was an interesting and very fun afternoon outing! After ice skating we had hot chocolate and played on the playground for a while. Lots of fun and family time.. The boys LOVED it. I was surprised that they did, I totally expected them to whine and cry when they fell and got wet, but they didn't they were having so much fun. It would have been a great submission to America's Funnies Home Videos! It was also Ryan's first time to ice skate. He did very well and did not fall, of course we all were wall huggers, but for the experience it was great family fun!

Wyatt skating alone.

Wyatt & Ryan "wall hugging"

Reid & Ryan

They also have a smaller ice rink for little kids 4 and under where they spent most of their time. They could hold on tho the sides and scoot around without the worry of the big kids knocking them down.

And of course they were very interested in the "ice lawnmower" machine

Happy 4th Birthday

Our 4th birthday was so much fun. We had a circus theme and lots of candy. It is hard to believe they are 4 now - they grow up fast (most of the time).

Wyatt hitting the pinata, Reid in the middle, & Lane standing with the orange bag.

Little Lane is growing up.

The Siemsglusz family of triplets also joined us for our birthday!

The train that we rented for the day was a big hit and really nice. Everyone got to ride, even adults!

Happy Halloween

As always oh so much fun finding costumes for the boys. I was thinking this may be the last year that I have any say in what they dress up as, so I dressed them up as the Wizard of Oz - Scarecrow (Lane), Tin Man (Reid), and the Lion (Wyatt). It was so much fun and they were so funny running around in them, you would have thought they just ate a whole bag of candy because they were so excited. Anyway, we had the Grace Lutheran Fall festival last Friday and they won Best Overall Costume!

Personality Profiles

The boys are changing so much and are becoming little men, so I decided to list what they are doing now to see how much they change and just how fast they change.

Lane - 46 months
Always in a good mood
Gets embarrassed easily when he gets in trouble
Tries to get mad but not very good at it
Potty trained!!!
Loves school
Favorite sayings: "you're not my friend anymore" & "I need some paper toilet"
Always playing with Wyatt
Wakes up every morning first (6:30 am)
Lightest one
Favorite foods: strawberry milk, chicken, ketchup, blueberry muffins
Talks perfectly
Into tractors & trucks
Pretty good at throwing a ball and hitting a golf ball
Knows all of his colors, ABC's, and can count to 30
Eats a lot & most anything

Reid - 46 months old
Loves to be tickled
Loves Barney & Mickey Mouse
Loves to go to school to see Mrs. Amy and Mrs. Maza
Favorite sayings: "Reid's turn" & "cool"
Can be extremely moody and stubborn when he doesn't get his way
Loves to snuggle
Loves to wrestle with daddy and brothers
Likes Ketchup
Favorite food: strawberry milk, chicken, watermelon, chips & queso, bologna
Talking much more (still a little hard to understand)
Loves tractors
Knows all of his colors, ABC's, and can count to 20
Eats A LOT!

Wyatt - 46 months
Loves school
Very lovable and cuddly
Talks perfectly except a slight studder sometimes
Biggest one of the three
Dominate one of the three
Potty Trained perfectly
Loves to watch movies - "Despicable Me", "Alvin & the Chipmunks", "Cars"
Loves Mickey Mouse, Thomas the Train, Fireman Sam
Into trains and tractors
Very smart
Knows all of his colors, shapes, ABC's, and can count to 30
Picky eater
Doesn't like ketchup or any dips
Favorite saying: "Why"
Night person like his daddy & extremely hard to get up in the morning!

Summer Vacations & Fun Times

Well summer has ended - atleast according to the school calendar, not mother nature - and we had a bunch of fun this year. Now that the boys are older, it is a lot easier to go places and have fun. Still crazy but fun!This year we went to Galveston and had some fun. And pardon the sideways photos - I need to learn how to turn them right. Sorry.

Boys at the Rainforest Cafe

They were scared of the Dinosaurs at Moody Gardens

The Galveston RR Museum
The Zoltar on the Strand in Galveston

Firemans Fiesta Fire Truck!

The always fun trip to Sears - they are just like their grandpa!

But now that they are older we are now hearing things that bring back memories from when we were kids. The new phrase in the house is "your not my friend". Lane loves to say this to Wyatt and to daddy when they dont give him his way. It really is hilarous. And they are constantly playing together and arguing together and love to complain that the other "is going to drink it all" when they are sharing a drink. It is never a dull moment, but otherwise fun and full of memories.

Toddler Life

Well we finally have two down and one to go. Lane and Wyatt are potty trained for the most part, but we are still working on Reid. Finally my diaper bill is cut by 2/3!!!

Also the we have adjusted into our new toddler beds. They boys are doing really good in them and love to sleep in their "new beds". No one has fallen out yet, but they really don't have far to fall in these. Here is a picture below of Wyatt asleep in his new bed with a package of Oreo's in his hand.
We have also run into the terrible three's...age and number of children:)! They have become very sneaky and very mischievous! This is a picture of one morning about 4:30 a.m. they decided to get up and play in their room with a bottle of powder. Yes, baby powder! It was so bad, I just had to laugh...and did a lot of cursing while cleaning it up for 2 hours. The morning before they dumped the whole box of gold fish down from the top of the stairs! Needles to say, they have started to figure out things to get into just when I thought I had it all put up and out of their line of sight. Seems like they are evolving, so I guess that means I have to start thinking like a 3 year old boy (or maybe I will just ask Ryan what he sees:))...but it is still fun and they definitely don't give me a break!

Another family portrait - tt-ing on the rocks! Go Grandpa!

And most everyone knows about the snow we have had for the past 3 years in a row! They like it, but soon discovered it was COLD and it was much warmer inside. So we played a little, but not long and back inside we went. Of course this did not let us escape the dreaded cold/flu/mess that has been going around. We all have been so sick for the past two weeks. Wyatt had RSV and pneumonia last week and the other two have just been snotty and running fever. Then of course mommy and daddy get it and it knocks us both down with fever and bronchitis, then Nana and Grammy have it now....love those germs! Hopefully we are mostly over it now, everyone in the family is on antibiotics (against my judgement), but we just could not shake it this time! uggh!