Tree Lounge

Hey I forgot about this one on my phone's camera! This was from last week sometime, we were over at our neighbor's house and Reese was eating a sucker, and decided to relax on their tree. Too funny!

Lunches with Grandpa Mark

Don't be jealous, but Grandpa Mark has been been enjoying coming over to eat lunch with us a lot over the summer while he's been working on the construction at York High School. Sometime just once a week and sometimes several times during a week. The boys so enjoy it and Clayton will even pull the table away from the wall to make room for everyone when he sees him coming to the door. They especially love when Grandpa is done eating and will play rough, fire up the "phasers" for tickles, flip them to do somersaults in the air, and fly them back and forth like an airplane (or a rocket whichever Clayton prefers that day).

Clayton grabbed my camera off the counter the other day and all but asked to have their picture taken. It sure seemed like that's what they wanted. What a cute one! <3

What are Beds for Anyway?

This was during nap time this past Sunday. Ha ha ha

Clayton's First Haircut

Well no one even tried to guess the right answer :( But here is Clayton's First Haircut the day he turned 5 Months old, March 10, 2011.

Reese's First Haircut!

It made mommy sad but it had to be done! Reese got his first hair cut Thursday night!

Before (just getting started)

Ooo that tickles!

Almost finished!

He was really good and stood (he refused to sit) on Daddy's lap so still the whole time. She even saved me a few of the little wispy hairs to keep. He really was getting pretty shaggy in the front, and the back, especially the hair around his cowlick. It does look much better now!

All done and eating some Smarties as a reward. So happy and handsome!

Clayton looking sharp after his haircut too!

Waiting outside for Daddy to finish up with his haircut:

Must have been a monkey in a past life. His voice made a terrific echoing sound when he yelled down the chimney, too

Does anyone ever read what I write or do you just look at the pictures? Can you remember how old Clayton was when he got his first haircut? If someone can comment on this post with the right answer, I'll post a picture of Clayton's first haircut tomorrow! ;) 

Last Weekend - Part 2, Apple Orchard!

Saturday morning we kind of got a slow start, but had plans to visit the Apple Orchard there in Nebraska City before heading back home.

The boys watching shows on the iPad while in their PJs Sat. in the hotel room.

The Apple Orchard was quite a bit more fun for the boys than I thought it could be. We got to take a high rack ride out to the orchard where they wanted us to pick the apples. A tractor pulling a trailer was enough to make Clayton's day, but then we actually got to ride in the trailer so that was pretty awesome. The man driving even let them each have a turn in the drivers seat when we got to the apples.

The boys enjoyed actually picking the apples too!

And even trying a bite!

But not so fun to pose and take a picture around our full box of apples I guess!

And then my favorite one from the whole day. Mommy and her boys getting ready to ride the wagon back!

Party Weekend part 1

We had quite the day last Friday and a really fun "Party Weekend" I guess and we had a lot of fun getting the boys all out of sync on their sleep schedule! Ha!

So Friday morning was the first meeting of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), I joined last spring, the group that meets in Seward (there isn't one in York unfortunately). It operates during the school year, the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month dozens of moms meet at the Hillcrest E-Free Church, drop of their kids in Sunday School rooms for free childcare and then from 9am to 11am we have food, adult conversation and "mom time." I really like it, and it's a great chance for the boys to socialize with other kids their own ages. I don't know why it surprises me, but we only went to 2 meetings last April and as soon as we pulled into the parking lot of the church Clayton started talking about playing together with other kids. He remembered! Reese remembered as soon as I turned the corner down the hall where the rooms are, because he started crying and clinging to me for dear life. They both had fun though but were ready to go when it was time.

I went from Seward straight to my parents' house in Lincoln because we were to attended the wedding of a family friend in Nebraska City that evening. Daddy met us there as soon as he could, leaving early from work (thank you!) and we drove on. We took the boys to the ceremony (brave, I know) and they were really quite well behaved until the end when the bride and groom started to say their vows. Reese was getting restless and so I threw his blankey (one of my shirts) over his head. Well he liked it there and would cry out in protest if we tried to take it off. It's a very thin shirt so I'm sure he could see the light all funny through it. The people sitting behind us sure got a show. We ended up keeping them quiet with M&Ms for the remainder of the ceremony.

After the wedding, we sure had a blast at the reception, or the Party as Clayton will tell you. He certainly enjoyed licking the frosting off of a cupcake

And so did Reese, but I think he actually ate the cake too!

Gimme that cupcake Grandpa!

Also, by the cake table was not only a chocolate fountain but a motion-activated M&Ms dispenser. I have to say that I lost track of  how many Clayton ate and just stopped caring, hahaha. He was sure wound up on sugar but I'm pretty sure he danced it all out later! 

Reese playing with cars, and Clayton in the background with one of his M&M cups

I didn't get any video of Clayton dancing (because Mommy was just having fun, enjoying the dance too). But I did run for my camera during a slow song when a little girl held hands with Clayton and tried to dance. But by the time I returned, I was told that REESE had cut in on Clayton and so now they were dancing instead. Clayton was really NOT interested in dancing with her so it was all okay. So Cute!

I have to apologize in advance since I have no idea whose child this is with Reese in the video!

We ended up staying at the reception until about 10pm! We stayed until Reese cried! They were both exhausted and ended up going to sleep next to each other in a big double bed at the hotel. We already had Clayton settled there and Reese climbed right out of his Pack'n'Play (he'd done it once at "nap time" earlier that day too) and wanted in bed with Clayton. So I let them and that worked until sometime in the middle of the night when Reese started to fuss a little so when I laid him back down I just put him the Pack'n'Play. And no, they didn't really sleep in. . .

Stay tuned for more adventures from last weekend in Nebraska City :)

Reese is being sooo ornery today! This is what he did when he was done eating his lunch. (sorry it's so blurry I took it with my phone!)

Smashed PBJ onto his forehead

But then he can really be so sweet and cute the next minute!

Reese the Climber

Check out this little daredevil - climbed all the way up there all by himself (this ladder is at least 6 feet high!). He will start giving mommy some grey hair pretty soon!

Yorkfest Parade

We took the boys down to the YorkFest parade yesterday morning and they loved it! It was about an hour and half long and they didn't get antsy until the very end. Of course it helps that there was a steady stream of candy (suckers and smarties are the favorites, but Clayton even tried some Tootsie Rolls!).

One cool dude in his shades!

Reese wouldn't keep his sunglasses on.

An OLD fire truck

Maybe next year they can ride in one, Grandpa?? 

Watching and Listening to the Ambulance

The Aerial - probably Clayton's favorite!

Watching all the tractors here I think

They really enjoyed the whole thing - there were dogs, trailers, firetrucks, tractors, race cars, horses and marching bands.  And having this double stroller really made the whole experience a breeze for Mom and Dad!

Tired Biker

Well, Clayton is a bike riding addict now - he wants to go all the time and we actually take him usually twice a day! Apparently it wears him out though as he as been sleeping great lately! Here he is just before nap time on Wednesday - too exhausted to watch even 5 minutes of his current favorite movie, The Sword in the Stone! Reese was enjoying the movie though and a little brother cuddle time!

Clayton's new bike

Clayton's 1st bike and also an early birthday present (only about another month until my baby is 3)! We took him to Walmart on Monday (it was Labor Day so Daddy was home to help) and picked out a bike and matching helmet. He already can get on and off with a little verbal coaching but no physical assistance! It's a little harder for him to push the pedals since there is as chain, and even though the bike will go with gravity, because of the chain, it doesn't make the pedals turn. So he will have a new learning curve here but I think he might be able to get the hang of it before the weather turns cold!

And here's a video of Clayton riding home from Grandma and Grandpa's house last night. It looks like he' really getting the hang of it! What he is saying at the beginning is "don't crash the truck." So cute!

Watching Football

Yesterday was Ohio's first football game so our family joined Great Grandpa and Grandma Branz to watch the game out at their house and have supper. They also had some of their friends over, Mark and Jennie Romohr and their daughter Julie. They had a lot of fun watching and interacting with the boys, especially getting Reese to say "Jennie" and "Grandma Pat." They also had fun convincing Reese to go to Mark to take some M&MS. Great, teaching him to take candy from a stranger, hahaha. Once he realized where the M's were though he started to visit his seat more and more frequently.

Who are you? But you have candy, so....

We caught a couple glimpses of Uncle Ty on TV and were able to yell "touchdown" once while we were there. Even though Ohio lost, the boys stayed entertained watching videos like "Green Eggs and Ham" on YouTube and playing with the toy trucks and motorcycles that Great Grandma keeps there for them.

Siting at the computer together

Getting tired and laying down to play

Before we went home Great Grandpa took Clayton, Reese (and mommy) on a ride around the farm on the 4-wheeler. We didn't think to grab a picture though. But next time you see Clayton, if you ask him about it he will tell you how we drove on the grass, on the water and saw a trailer and a combine and some augers.