Well Good Morning, Reese!

Tuesday morning I walked into the boys' room to find that Reese had striped off his PJs! Good thing he hadn't figured out the diaper. He was a little upset since he had thrown his binky and blankey out of the crib (it's a morning ritual to throw it out and then cry "uh oh")

Then last night Daddy snapped some pictures of Lacey and Clayton having a stare down. . . Clayton wanted the blanket the cat was laying on and has been bitten (well deserved, let me assure you) by him enough to try to get it from him cautiously. Mommy wasn't home at the time (went to my AquaZumba class for a workout) and Daddy said he was sad he couldn't get the camera out fast enough for when their faces were even closer to start with!!

New Swing Set for the Branz Boys

After pouting and complaining about not having hundreds of dollars to spend on a swing-set for the boys in an online chat group for mothers that I frequent, someone suggested to me to check on Craig's List to see if I could find a good deal on a used one. So I did and I found a wooden one on sale for $100 that a family in Lincoln was trying to get rid of. So my parents went to check it out for us to make sure it was worth it, and it was, so on Sunday we went to Lincoln to get it! It's much much nicer than anything we could afford brand new and I am so grateful that the boys now have a nice big slide to climb on and place to swing. What a fun summer this is going to be!!!

I couldn't believe that Mommy and Daddy were able to set it up together with out any help. The boys were really good and mostly played in the sandbox while we worked.

Reese was a little confused about what was going one with the slide. . .

And Clayton tried to sit on the un-attached swing a few times. . .

Playing Peek under the Slide's ladder

Kitty had to come check it out (Lacey)

He had lost his shoe and was mid "uh oh" when I took the picture - you can just see the word on his face! So cute!!

Uh-oh!

Finally Time to go down the slide!

Reese would go down so fast that he would end up face planting (luckily he thought it was funny, see above picture!) but he did decide that he prefers to go down on his tummy rather than his butt. So Daddy is going to have to add some extra wood on the sides of the platform that go to the slide to help make it more safe. Reese gets so excited while turning around to go down the slide backwards that he doesn't always get a full 180 degree turn in and almost backed off the edge of the platform Sunday night. I had been worried about that so I was standing right there and was able to catch him before he slid all the way off and straight onto the ground.

We are also able to have two "baby" swings attached since that is how both boys prefer to swing right now. Clayton can sit on a "big boy" swing but it's probably not as fun since we don't push him as hard or as high. Safely restrained in the baby swing we go crazy, pushing him as high as it goes - weeeee!

One Month from Now

One month from now, my dear sweet baby will be two years old! It's so hard to believe that Clayton is growing up so fast. We checked his height and weight today and he is 26 lbs and 33 1/2 inches tall. He has all the classic two year old mood swings and temper tantrums but is also very eager to learn and do things on his own. The new thing this week is that he has to buckle the straps on his booster seat himself! If you do it for him he has an absolute fit! He can do it with very little assistance lining the ends up. I have also noticed his language skills increasing a lot lately. For example, he seems to have started to understand the use of pronouns and when he falls or gets hurt he says "I tough." We always say "Clayton's tough" we have never said "I tough", so he put that together himself! He also seems to have finally settled on words for grandma and grandpa- "mee mow" and "pop pop." He tries to say anything and everything even if it comes out all jumbled. One of my favorites right now is octopus (he has a pair of PJs with one on the shirt) - he says "pu us" with the two "you" sounds all slurred together in an adorable Clayton way. He will also say "wuv you" to me before bed or nap time with out being prompted! Melts my heart!!

Here is what he was up this evening that Darrel caught on video. I think what is the most astounding is that the cat just lay there the whole darn time!!!

Nice Chloe

Taken 6/19/12

Reese and Chloe

Well for as much as we complain about how dumb Chloe is, she really does do well with kids!

Perfect Snow Day

My intention was to post these pictures Saturday afternoon/evening, however Reese had other plans for me that evening!

This is all the snow we woke up to on Saturday morning, so obviously there was no Conference Wrestling tournament (it had been cancelled already the day before). I was so excited to have Darrel home with Clayton and I for the whole weekend.

View from our front door

Clayton spent about 40 min. outside helping Grandpa and and Dad snow blow our driveway as well as two of our neighbors. So the both us walked up and down the drive behind or beside the blower. It ended with a slip and fall on the slick driveway and Clayton bumped his head pretty bad, but he was also cold and tired I'm sure.

Before lunch he snuggled and relaxed while watching Cars (the Disney movie). He had never seen it before but seemed to enjoy seeing the cars and trucks!

Watching a movie with Lacey

After lunch Clayton took a big nap (and so did I). Of course after naps we ended our day by getting to the hospital to have us a baby brother. Reese wasn't technically born till the next day, but what a perfect ending to a perfect day!

Tent and Tunnel

Clayton got many very cool toys for Christmas! One that will be a very special treat (as it takes up most of our living room) is the Discovery Tent and Tunnel that he got from his Branz Grandparents. We had it set up for a while on Christmas Day and he really enjoyed sitting inside and chasing the cats through the tunnel. The cats also had a blast with it during his nap and even ran inside so fast that the tent tipped almost upside down - where is a video camera when you really need one?!

Happy to have his own little space

Trying to get the kitty

Run Lacey, Run!

Here he comes...

Crawling back through

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Random Pictures, and Injuries

I haven't had anything nearly as interesting as the Thanksgiving pictures or pulling the cat's tail to blog about lately, but we have had a few random things. . .

This is from last week sometime I think. I obviously tied the blanket around him as a cape, but he does put the colander on his head quite a bit. (I did it myself for a funny picture on this instance though)

Mom, you are so weird. . .

Here is a result of pulling the cats tail too hard. Believe it or not, those are bite marks. Lacey clamped down hard and when Clayton tried to rip his arm away the cat did not let go! This happened last night right before bed and Clayton was pretty upset. They never bled and we washed them really well with soap and water. He got bit almost as bad again today, so clearly pain is not a good teaching tool for this child. . . oi!

Kitty bites!

I took that picture this morning during breakfast, and of course he thought I just wanted a picture of his adorable face, so I indulged him. Pretty good one too!

Hmm, I need a hair cut!

Yesterday was quite eventful, actually. . . I should have taken a picture of this yesterday because it looks way better now (thankfully). Before his nap (so he was probably just tired and clumsy) he some how tripped while playing with his mower and sort of clothes-lined himself on the handle (Not sure how else to describe it). That red mark under his chin was probably 4 times longer after it happened and his mouth was bleeding (I'm guessing he bit his lip or tongue). I gave him some ice in a little mesh bag and that distracted him from the pain and he was just fine. I wonder how much harder he would have to fall like that for it to split his chin open and earn his first stitches?? At this rate they are not too far into the future.

Red mark on chin (not the one on his neck, that is a "birth mark")

My prediction for his next injury is something to do with climbing for sure. Likely culprit, the high chair. He can get into his high chair completely on his own. I really need to remember to push it up against the table so he can't, but when I forgot today, I'm so slow that by the time I got over to him, he had gotten all the way up and stood in the seat and then turned around and sat down, with one leg on either side of the "crotch bar" (because I don't know what else to call it), just like he is supposed to be!

And this is how daddy found us when he came home for lunch today. He was so tired and crabby! He got mad at me because I wasn't letting him throw all of his books (that I had just picked up) onto the floor, I was only letting have a few. Then he was up on my lap and kept saying "nigh nigh nigh." So I asked him if he was tired and wanted to go night night and he got down and ran into his room and grabbed the rails of his crib! I guess that is a "yes!" So I just got his blanket and we cuddled on the couch (it was almost lunch time so I didn't want to actually put him down for a nap).

Clayton and Lacey

Lacey has been more willing to be around Clayton lately, and they find ways to play together. Sometimes Lacey will chase after jingle balls that he throws, but sometimes he won't. Clayton hardly ever resists an opportunity to pull his tail though! And Lacey loves to 'slap' him around for it too. It's extremely difficult to catch on video but I finally did!

Thanksgiving Day, Part 2

Pets are a part of Thanksgiving too!

Giving Riley some "pat pats"

After giving Riley some pat pats, he moved on to Lacey. . . .

Of course we know how much he loves Chloe!

Trying to walk the dog I guess

Clayton and Chloe

Here is a project I have been working on for a few weeks. I have come to think of it is "digital scrap booking." This is compilation of video clips and pictures of Clayton and Chloe and their "friendship" over the last year.

Last Week's Pictures

Here are some loveable shots of the little stinker from last week that never made it onto the blog!

Look at that mess mom!

Attacking Chloe

Please take me outside!

Attacking Lacey