Daddy cuts G's hair!

OMG! We finally decided to try to cut Gav's hair! HAHAHAHA I am still laughing! Poor thing looks like he belongs in Kentucky now! I guess its not that bad, but seriously, he was SOOOOOO excited!!!

We have been taking him to Balloon Cuts kids place forever...sometimes 2 times a month! I seriously dread taking him there now that we have 2 kids...We have to wait in line, get it cut, and then pay way too much money...THEN come home and take a bath IMMEDIATELY because he is "itchy." It is a big process. So why not do it at home? Derek cuts his own hair, why not G's too?

He looks cute. Derek says he "looks like a boy now" :) Next time we might do it a little shorter....see how that looks. For now, every time I look at him I bust out laughing!!! (He has no idea why:)

Baby A photo shoot

Here is baby A at 2.5 months...isn't he just so sweet? There is something about those eyes...:)

Park!

Our Friday afternoon park date with KK. These two are so cute together...they play together, run around together, and talk to each other the whole time:) Gavin fell down and hurt himself, and KK was so sweet....hugging and kissing him:) They really are best friends! (The only way I could get Gav to go down for a nap was to tell him we were meeting KK at the park after nap!)

Saratoga Springs

Today was our first day back to Saratoga Springs for school...we have been at the schoolhouse all winter, and now we are back to the springs! Gavin was in absolute heaven as usual...and had a ton of fun. Ma and Austin came along, and they had fun too. Austin mainly watched all the kids play, and then fell asleep for the rest of the time. Gavin got to play in the sand, paint rocks, make butter for snack, and the best of all....the bunny hill! The kids climb way up the huge steep "bunny hill" and then slide down the back side on their bottom:) They all LOVE this part. Thanks Ma for coming along with us!

iPhone pics

OK, so I am obsessed with taking pics on my new iPhone. It is SO easy, and once I take them, they automatically go to my computer, iPhoto, and Facebook. Its genius. Then my good friend Angie told me how to make the collages with the instagram pics I take...so great! So here are all the instagram photos I have taken since I got the phone...OK, some of them! I am going to copy Angie and make a weekly collage of the pics...as I take way too many! 

A day at the museum

me- Gavin what happened today at the museum?

G- Davin hit Momma with dinosaur bone"

me- And what happened?

G- We left an came home and Davin fried and fried all allllllll the way home!" (fried=cried)

me- Was mommy hurt?

G- Mommy so sad and mommy was pointed at Davin!" (pointed=disappointed)

me- When can we go back to the museum?

G- We go back when Davin does NOT hit mama"

I can still see all the looks we got as we were leaving the museum...Gavin throwing the biggest fit, running behind me and trying to stop me from pushing the stroller...while he was crying so hard he could not even see! Oh my! I honestly thought it was kinda funny, so I was laughing and it totally looked like I was trying to leave my upset child there...Oh the joys!

The boys and their cousins!

What a fun weekend we have been having. Awesome weather, and lots to do. Today we took an early nap (yes we ALL managed to get a nap, even if it was short, it happened!) and headed to Dublin to visit with cousin Nathan and Dylan! We don't really get to see them too much, but we hope to more....the boys LOVE each other, and play so well! We seriously did not even hear them for a good hour when we first got there...they went upstairs and played. The babies were so cute too...just watched us, talked, smiled, nursed, and pooped. The usual. Neither of them even fussed at all...so sweet. 

We had a GREAT mexican dinner made by Alvin...tacos with some really yummy beef and fresh salsa and guac...perfect! We had "Nothing Bundt Cake" for dessert...and it was SOOOO good! (I broke my dairy rule and had a bite...sorry Austin, it was JUST a bite!)

We had to convince Gavin that it was time to go finally...he would have stayed until he crashed...he just loves his cousin Nathan. He asked the WHOLE ride home (45min) if Nathan could come over. 

Thanks guys for the great day and dinner!

The norm

Typical day. Curious George. Breakfast. Read books. Play outside. Park. Lunch. Balance bike ride. Read books. Nap. Austin/momma time on patio. Curious George. Snack. Play with hose. Make dinner. Not much better:)

First BBQ of the season!

Tonight we headed to the McCulloch's house for our very first (of many) warm weather BBQ's! We have been doing this with them and the Bergmans for 2 years now...and are so excited to start back up again. The weather has been super warm the past few days, and it was perfect for sitting on the patio, drinking margaritas, and letting the kids play. Gavin and KK proved that they are still the sweet little toddlers we thought they were...no fighting, meltdowns, or anything! They both played SO well together (like usual) and baby Hunter tried to keep up;) Hunter actually kept us entertained by his great appetite....the little guy likes to eat fresh spinach!!! I have yet to meet a 9 month old who will eat fresh greens! Of course baby A was just a sweet little guy...watching the big kids play, and napping in our arms. 

We look forward to many many more summer BBQ's with the neighbors. Thanks Danny & Angie:)

My boys

Austin is changing so much each day. He is smiling all the time now, although I have yet to get it on camera. He "talks" to us and loves when we talk to him. He is pretty happy just being around us, and will sit in his chair or lay on his mat for longer periods now. A "happy camper" is what his brother calls him. 

Gavin has become quite the little two year old these days. Man, oh man! Gavin likes things a certain way, and if you "mess it up" or do something he was not planning to have done, then he gets pretty upset. Usually I will have no idea what I did until he calms down and can tell me what was wrong. Like I said, he has a certain order to his crazy two year old life, and its pretty tough when we get in the way;)

Bath time is a favorite for them both. Austin loves to watch his brother, and Gavin helps wash Austin's body and hair every night. Austin has had a few mouthfuls of water already, but does not care one bit!

Never a dull moment around here!!!

Austin 2 month check-up

Little man had his 2mo visit today. Gavin got to come along and was super excited to watch baby get checked out!

Austin was good as gold, was awake and smiling at Dr. C. He loved the attention, and showed off his strong neck muscles and sweet baby voice. I had no questions or concerns, all is well with baby!

We decided to stick to the same schedule (almost) of vaccines that we did with Gavin. A little delayed, but it will get him all he needs by the time he is 12 months. We are still following Dr. Sears schedule.

Here are the stats:
Weight-12lbs 6oz 60%
Height-23in 42%
Head Circ-40cm 42%

I went and looked back to see what Gavin's stats were at this age...and it is too funny...exactly the same!!!! Gavin weighed 5 ounces more, but thats the ONLY difference!

Dr. C said that Austin was beautiful, healthy, and perfect. It was such a great visit...of course, I am so grateful for his health. Could not ask for more.

Then the shots. He got 2. Gavin was ready to give him the stickers he picked out for him after he was done...how sweet:) Baby A cried for a few seconds, but nothing the paci would not fix. He was over it, and Gavin was so concerned for him...kept asking if he was "done frying" (done crying) :)

We went to Kevin Moran park afterwards for a fun park day...it was 70 degrees and beautiful out...perfect for digging in the sand, picnic lunch, and bike ride around. So thankful to get to be with my healthy boys!

My little daredevil!

So Gavin has been riding his balance bike for a few weeks now...and he surprised us all by going down the hill at the park....today he decided that he could "handle it mama" with a new hill. A VERY steep RAMP! We went up this ramp (it goes over a highway) to go to the other side of a park...and I had a feeling when we were coming back to go home, he totally would want to ride down this ramp...alone! He did not even give me a chance to think about it, and he was off! He rode down, so so fast, and turned the corner so well! I was really sweating!!!! So of course I had him do it again so I could videotape it...and I was just as nervous the second time...but only for a minute, as he proved that he could do it! What a daredevil!

Not sure what to title this

Not sure I will use the best language with this one! OK, here it goes! I think I might have opened my mouth too soon earlier in the week when I mentioned that "Gavin does not really throw tantrums" on this blog. HOLY HELL, he just turned TERRIBLE TWO overnight!

A few days ago he threw a really long tantrum. Followed by some serious yelling at me. 

Then today, he really did it. Tantrum after tantrum. Over really little things. He is super demanding, bossy, and VERY particular about what HE wants and what he wants US to do. OMG. OMG. OMG. Mr. BOSSY PANTS has taken over! 

We have tried and tried not to give into his demands as much as we can. Ahem, OK, Derek does not give in, but when I am alone with him and baby, I tend to just avoid these situations...and I have REALLY REALLY been trying to "choose my battles" when it comes to MR BOSSY PANTS!

Then today happened, in another way. Very VERY bad way! Gavin threw sand on on KK, hit me TWO TIMES, and kicked his daddy...all during times he was frustrated, but no matter what its not OK! So we disciplined him, and then he cried and cried and "wanted a hug" afterwards. Hmm. OMG. 

So here goes a new learning curve for us all. I started to open my "Positive Discipline" book I got a while back, but then I got overwhelmed with what I am doing wrong, or things I should be doing...blah blah, I am tired, WE are tired! We will take it day by day, but I think for now consistency is key. 

What happened to my sweet, charming, and polite two year old???

Sweet guy

With a terrible two year old around, Mr. Austie sure is an easy child!

{Gavin 32 Months}

Dear Gavie,

I know, 32 months sounds nuts, I can't believe that I have been writing you a letter each month for 32 months...seems so so long!

Oh Gavin, how fun it is to be your momma! Not a day goes by where we are not always smiling and laughing all day long...you are hilarious!!! You are such a sponge...you soak up everything people say, and then you say it. You think you know what it all means too. Love it.

You are such a chatterbox. Talk a mile a minute from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. Your vocabulary amazes me, and I sometime learn facts about bugs and nature from you! Yes YOU! You know more than momma!

You are still a great sleeper and you go to bed at 8pm and get up at 6:30. You nap from 1 to 3. No complaints here! The first thing you say when you wake up is "I wanna see baby Austie!!!"

You also continue to be the worlds best eater too. You love swiss chard tart, muffins, smoothies, cheese, berries, eggs, pasta, mac n cheese, chicken, soy hot dogs, milk, and ANY sweets. You will pretty much eat anything we cook, minus the veggies. Those need to be hidden:)

You wear a 3T in everything, and you can no longer fit in your 2T shirts and pants. Bummer, thats what all your summer T-shirts are!

You continue to be completely potty trained except for nap and bedtime when you wear a diaper. You have not had an accident in months, and tell us when you need to go. I can't remember the last time I asked you if you needed to go potty...you have proven that you got this down!

You LOVE LOVE LOVE your brother. You say you can't wait for him to "play" with you. I can't wait either! You help with all the stuff we need to do with baby, and are very patient when you need to be.

We experienced your very first real two year old melt down the other night. You were upset about needing to come inside and take a bath...and you laid in the empty bath and cried for 15 straight minutes. You even were hitting the bathtub with your hands...YIKES! You eventually stopped screaming when we ignored you, and then you forgot why you were even crying. Hopefully that does not happen again for a long time:)

You still love school, and love to try new things there...you do every single activity, and don't slow down for much. We continue to go to the museum once a week, the zoo once a week, and gym class once a week. You like to keep busy as always, and are always on the go. As busy as you are, you also love to chill out if we are reading books...your favorites are still Dr. Seuss, Curious George, and my very favorite, Each Peach Pear Plum! You LOVE this book!!!

You have also mastered the balance bike pretty nicely! We are SO impressed! You side that thing so so fast, and we have to run behind you. You will go down hills, and turn corners like a professional. You even say "Im prosessional" when you do something tricky:)

Oh Gavin, we love you so much. Thanks for making us smile all day long:)

Momma

Friday

Perfect day to end a very fun and EXHAUSTING week. Daddy has been out of town for work, and it has been so hard! I now have an enormous amount of respect for single mothers...for sure the hardest job on the planet, hands down!

Today we had fun at school, even in the rain. Dressed up as a fireman. Got to play with Ma this afternoon and "bake" cookies. Then got to have a fun evening at KK's house...park, dinner, and Gavin's favorite part--Ice cream while watching Curious George. 

Thank you to all who made our week a little easier with Daddy being gone! Thank the Lord for family and friends. 

{Austin 2 Months}

Dear Baby Austin,

Or should I call you "Baby Austie"...thats your big brothers newest nickname for you, and its sticking! Austie is what we are all calling you these days...so cute. Oh Austin, you have developed such a little personality these days! You smile at us, coo when you are happy, and yell when you don't want to be put down. You have a serious case of loving to be held, because you are all day long! We are always on the go, and you live in the carrier, on my chest, and you are in heaven. I have even mastered feeding you this way, and no one knows it...like I said, heaven! You are such a go with the flow little guy, and just are happy to be doing anything.

You are sleeping well at night, two nice stretches of sleep...4 and sometimes 5 hours. You are becoming a lot harder to put to sleep sometimes, requiring rocking and paci...but thats OK. You spend the last few hours of night sleep on my chest...and I love waking up to your sweet face. During the day you just sleep when you can. If we are home you will take nice naps in your bed, and while we are out you will sleep in the carseat or carrier. Like I said, you go with the flow.

You are still the best little eater. You nurse exclusively, and all is going well. This is one of my very favorite times with you...it is such a special time that you and I have, and you just stare at me and sometimes smile. I am so thankful that we can have this experience...as it was one of my favorite experiences with Gavin. I have managed to get a ton of milk in the freezer so that we can use it when I go back to work.

Your daddy has been giving you a bottle of my milk every single night when you first wake up. This gives me some time to rest, and its a special time for you and daddy. I am such a lucky momma to be able to sleep for at least a few hours.

You roll over from tummy to back, and have been for weeks. You now have all the "infant toys" out from the attic including the exersaucer! I know you are pretty young for it, but your head control is absolutely amazing and you are super strong...you practically sit up sometimes!!! I have a feeling you will be walking at 10 months like your brother!

You are in size 1-2 diapers and 3-6mo clothes. You still "barf" as your brother says ALL the time. You love to eat, and sometimes you don't know when to stop...we guess! We are sure to always carry "barf rags" with us all the time! No big deal, we are used to it. You are definitely gaining weight, so its not an issue.

We swaddle you at night, and you sleep best this way. We ended up buying more big swaddles, as you spit up on them so much!

We look forward to the warm spring days ahead...

We sure love you little Austie!

Momma

Moore Family Easter

This afternoon we headed to Ma and Papa’s house for the Moore Family Easter celebration! We got there and EVERYONE was there!

We got to see all the Moore’s! Gavin was especially excited to see “Cousin Nathan” and new baby Dylan! Dylan is only three days younger than AustinJ

The four boys were completely surrounded by many smiling adults…it was like they had an entourage! The cameras were snapping away and the boys were soaking it all in…and the little guys loved each other too! Austin and Dylan were very good and happy babies…and Austin did not sleep more than a few minutes all afternoon…way way to much excitement going on! At one point the babies were laying on the floor together…kicking and flapping their arms…and right as Austin sneezed, so did Dylan. If you can imagine the excitement from all the Aunts when that happened….so sweet!

Gavin and Nathan had their very own special Easter egg hunt, and they sure did a good job getting the eggs. Thank you VERY much to Aunt Tara and Zana for the fun hunt!

Again, Gavin was just in heaven with all the adult attention…he talks to everyone, and just smiles ear to ear…He will talk about cousin Nathan for weeks, and he looks forward to the next time he gets to see him.

Thank you Ma and Papa for a beautiful and fun Easter. We are so lucky to have you.  

Easter 2012 pics

Happy Easter! I felt pretty accomplished that we were all showered and dressed by 10:30am! Ahem, a little past church time, but I think God understands!

Here is our first attempt at a family photo! I never knew how hard it was to make sure that TWO kids were looking at the camera…when a remote is taking the picture AND expecting a 2 month old to “look” HA! This was pretty fun thoughJ We did not get very many good shots…either 1. You could see directly up my skirt, 2. Gavin was giving his “cheesy weezy smile” a little too big, or 3. Baby Austin was needing me to move around. Phew!

With that being said, I have never hired a photographer, and I am not gonna start now! Here is what we got. 

Easter Morning

Happy Easter!

This morning Gavin woke up, and made breakfast with his daddy…and while he was cooking, we heard something in the TV room! Gavin said “What was THAT NOISE!” and we told him it might be the Easter Bunny!

Gavin ran in the TV room and looked and looked for his basket. He finally found baby Austin’s behind the couch, and then his was behind the curtain. He took every single egg out and every single toy. He loved it all, especially the PEEPS!

A VERY big special thank you to Cincinnati Ma for showing the Easter Bunny what to bring for the boysJ

According to Gavin, “Easter Bunny is ONLY one who can bring a BASTET!” 

Gavin and his food

We all know Gavin loves to eat. And cook. And ANYthing food related. This child is such a mix of Derek and I...he loves to cook AND eat. Just like us.

I wanted to write down Gavin's favorite things to cook these days:

"Swiss chard tart"- This is a necessity to make every weekend...and Gavin and Daddy make enough to last a few days. Gavin will tell you all the ingredients to make the "dough" for the crust, and then when it is all cooked he will eat it like there is no tomorrow. Yes, my two year old loves swiss chard! (with egg of course:)

"Beg-ta-bowl & fruit bootie"- I know, this one is tough to say. Vegetable & fruit smoothie. This is made fresh EVERY single morning by him and daddy. He will name everything. Strawberries, blueberries, rice milk, acai juice, carrot juice, coconut oil, flax seed, chia seed, and spinach. You miss an ingredient, and he will tell you! Yep, my two year old also loves chia seed and spinach. (with the "doodness" of fruit of course)

"Bueberry muffins"- These are made a few times a week. We have been using the regular old Jiffy mix, as there are the least ingredients and no diary in them. We add egg, rice milk, and fresh blueberries. Pretty good, and they only last a few days:)

The day before Easter

Well, we have now been to three Easter egg hunts, all before Easter! I never knew you could celebrate a holiday so much with little ones:) Today we decided to dye some Easter eggs. Gavin was a pro at this project....he seemed like he already knew what he was doing, and this was the first time. After we were all done, he decided he wanted to eat one....and that turned into FOUR. Thats right, between Gavin and myself, there were only 4 eggs left after we ate them:) (I also have an enormous appetite these days) As Gavin says, "What FUN it is to decorate Easter eggs!!!" 

Hidden Villa Farm

Today Gavin had a field trip with school to Hidden Villa Farm in the Los Altos hills. It was a beautiful drive up the hills, and Gavin was so excited to "see all the animals!!!" He had talked about the field trip for days.

Once we pulled up, he heard the cows, chickens, rooster, and frogs. He could not WAIT to see them all. Hidden Villa is a beautiful organic farm, tucked in between the Los Altos hills...it really is a neat place.

We toured all the animals, and Gavin got to pet each one, and feed some too. Chickens, rooster, cows, pigs, sheep, and "baby lammie" too:) He especially liked the chickens that were laying eggs. We got to pick a dozen eggs to bring home, and he was SO thrilled about that. Another favorite part was petting the cow. All the other kids were too scared and shy to pet this enormous cow...but not Gavin! He went right up, and was stroking his back and neck...and then he wanted to see "his bottom" so we looked. He announced that this was where the cow "has poo-poo come out!" HA! He also really liked to pet the cows bones on his back....not sure why? Silly guy. Kept saying "He has BIG BIG BIG BONES mama!!!" 

Lastly we toured the garden area and got to sample a lot of the fresh produce and herbs. Gavin tried most of it, and then spit most of it out in my hand, telling me "Davin don't like it much Mama...too spicy!" His favorite thing was the oats. We got to pick some oat grass, and try the oats. I told Gavin that this was the oat that we eat in our steel cut oats. He went up to each and every one in the class (adults mostly) and told them "This is the OAT that Davin eats in his STEEL CUT OATS EVERY SINGLE MORNING!!!!!" He was so fascinated and so excited about this...neat to see where our food comes from.

What a fun day at the farm! Gavin was so good, and such a good little listener and follower to the tour guide...he was right behind her the whole time, and mainly talked to her the whole time...:) He was first in line to try things, and if he was not first, some of the other kids would look to see where he was so he would try it first...and THEN they would try if he did. These kids are so cute!

Me and my boys

Last night after the boys had their bath, we took a few pics while we were getting jammies on. Gavin is such a ham in front of the camera. He even told us to get a pic of his “booty” and then turned around and stuck his bottom in our face. AHH! Such a boy! He likes to take pictures too…he took some of mama and baby Austin, and then he took some of his toys. Maybe my love of photography is rubbing off on him? We will see. And Mr. Austin is getting so big these days…and has so much personality! He is a go with the flow, very happy baby. We love him to piecesJ

Grown up Gavin

Yesterday we lost our cat, Gavin's first pet. We tired our best to explain it to him, and we told him the truth.

He knew that Arnie had a "boo-boo" on his mouth, and he kept telling us that we were going to take Arnie to the vet to get " fixed" and "Medinine" to feel better. We told Gavin that the doctor would make him feel all better, and then he would not come home with us. He was going to heaven.

Gavin kissed Arnold goodbye before we left, and told us all that Kitty was not coming back. We were not surprised at all at how much Gavin understood. Gavin is a smart boy, thats for sure. Arnold was in pain, but when Gavin kissed his head, Arnold did not move and act like he was hurt. He just stayed still, and let Gavin pet him one last time...it was like he was pretending to be OK for Gavin. :(

When we came home, we did not have Arnold. Gavin told us "Arnie was sick....vet made him all better" and then he asked us where he was. We told him that Arnold died, and went to heaven. Just like all the other things that die...like the worms, pill bugs, ladybugs, and snails. (Gavin knows they "die" ) So Gavin took it all in, and then told us that "Arnie is gone, we can't see him anymore...he feels better" Again, not surprised at how much he really understands...

We are so thankful that Gavin is still young enough to not totally understand the pain. Its just black and white to him, and we are thankful that he does not feel very sad. We knew we needed to tell him the truth, and we did.

I guess this was Gavin's first real lesson in death....we tried so hard to protect him, yet also let him see the beauty of being happy. He knew Arnold was not happy, and now we can all talk about how Arnie is happy in heaven.

RIP Arnold 1998-2012

One day, when I was 14, I was at my Grandma's house playing outside. I heard a little kitty crying, and knew I had to find him. I searched the neighbors yard, and I found a little kitty inside a big box....with a really tall glass of water that he could not even reach. He was the size of my palm, and was just crying so much. I grabbed him out of there, and told the lady who lived at the house that I was taking him....a big box was no place for a little kitty, and he needed milk. She told me that his mom was hit by a car, and all the other kitty's died from starvation! She just let it happen, and I was furious with her! I took him in my arms, and ran back to Grandma's house. Thankfully, my parents let me keep him, and I promised to take care of him. We got kitty milk from the pet store, and I fed him with a medicine dropper every few hours...day and night. 

I still remember not wanting to go to school all day because then he would not get to eat...I thought about sneaking him in my backpack (yeah right) and then I thought about pretending I was sick...my parents totally would have caught onto that one! I remember sitting in Mrs. Keller's biology class, and worrying about him...and I even asked her if 8 hours was too long for a kitten to go without food...I was so worried!

Well, he grew bigger and bigger, and was such a sweet little kitty. I let Patrick name him, and he came up with Arnold. It was a cartoon at the time, and "Arnold" the cartoon character had a really big head...a football head...and thats what Arnold had! So it was Arnold, Arnie for short.

As a kitten he was diagnosed with Feline Leukemia, and the vet said he would not survive. He got sick, and we thought he was going to pass away, but he did not! He lived right through it, and did just fine. 

He was kind of a scary kitty at times....he liked to play, but he also would hiss at you if you pet him when he did not want to be pet...some people were scared of him, but I never was. You just needed to know when he was in the mood to be pet:) He loved to chase dustballs, toys, and hairballs. He also loved to take out his poop from his litterbox and play with that...it was gross, but it was Arnie. We would come home and find "poopballs" in the house, and he would just stare at us and then run and hide. Sometimes he would play "freaky kitty" where he would just run in all directions and act a little crazy...and he knew we thought it was so funny:)  He was also a great kitty for any unwanted guests. He once caught the little mouse that was living in our apartment...and he placed it at the foot of my bed....thanks Arnie!

Arnie lived in 5 different homes, and 2 different states. He brought a lot of joy into our lives, and was such a sweet cat with Gavin. He never once hurt him (too bad) and always let him "play" with him. They both had a TON of fun playing with cat toys....Gavin would RUN as fast as he could through the house, and Arnie would chase the toys. It was so cute...When I watch the video I cry.

Gavin loved his first pet very much. EVERY single week, he helped clean his letterbox, and every day he helped feed him his "special food." Gavin did the scooping and mixing, every day. If we did it without him? He was very upset....Arnie knew who fed him for sure!

I am so thankful that I was able to be Arnie's momma throughout his life, and so thankful that my family took such great care of him while I was in college. I am also thankful that Erica was able to keep him for a few years while I moved to California...Arnie had a great family, all of them. I am most thankful for Arnie's daddy, Derek. When Arnie moved here, Derek took over and took such great care of him. He brushed him EVERY night, and then let Arnie sleep on his chest EVERY night. When we had children, Derek never forgot about Arnie (like I sometimes did), and still made sure that he was happy. He was so great to him...and I am forever thankful. Arnold and Derek had a special bond, one that Arnold had with no one else. When Arnold went to heaven, Derek came home and made a little slideshow of Arnie's life...so sweet. Broke my heart yet again. 

Arnold had lots of health issues, but this last issue was the one that made his life no longer enjoyable. He was not his usual self, and was no longer happy. We knew that it was his time to go to kitty heaven. I found him when he was born, and I held him when he went to heaven...I will always have a special place in my heart for my Arnold. We will miss you Arnie Blarney! Have fun up in heaven....eating all the food you want, and chasing dustballs:) We know that Grandma DB will spoil you rotten up there. Rest in Peace kitty kitty.

"Thats common"

me-Gavin look! There are LOTS of snails on the sidewalk!
G-Thats common mama. They were wet, wet, wet in the grass, so they crawl, crawl crawl to the sidewalk to get NICE AND DRY MAMA!
me-Oh wow, I did not know that!
G-Yes mama, its common. They need to be DRY.

Gavin is such a chatterbox. He talks to ANY and EVERYone who will listen. Anytime we are out, he stops to tell people where we are going. Or that we "are going" somewhere. Gardeners, mailmen, people playing tennis at the park, people walking dogs...he will talk to anyone. He will also tell people at the park to play with him! When he is chasing daddy or playing hide-n-seek, he will tell the nearest adult or big kid to "Come help Davin find DADDY!!!!" Its hilarious to watch him be so incredibly social with everyone. He is definitely not shy at ALL. He loves anyone who will give him attention. He acts like a daycare child, and he totally is not! (People often ask me "Is he in daycare all day? He is awfully friendly with everyone!!!" I tell them no, I am home with him...we just have one social toddler!)

Gavin is now an expert at the balance bike. We take it everywhere, and he is so good! He goes so fast, we are usually running behind him. He also turns corners so well...barely slows down, and knows how to put his feet up and balance around the corner while steering. Seriously, he is crazy and we love it! Its so much fun now to go on walks....lots of entertainment! I am getting back in shape FAST now:)

Routine, routine routine. Gavin loves his routines, and you better not mess with them! He will let you know if we "do it the WRONG way!" and he will show you. Bed, bath, meals, play, walks, ANYthing he has a routine with, he needs it to stay that way! So funny...sometimes I will try to put him to bed (Daddy's usual job) and I will do something "wrong" and Gavin will tell me. "No, first turn off hall light, THEN say goodnight, thats how we DO IT!" Oh man! Or Daddy will try to give him a meal a certain way, and he will correct Daddy on how he served it to him..."Waffle goes on THIS side Daddy!!!" Jeez, get it right!