Summer Bucket List Update – July

Here is our bucket list for the summer of 2012:

1. Talk nightly walks (in progress!)
2. Play at the local park (done: 6/2, 7/2, 7/13)
3. Have at least one “swim-day” a month at one of the local pools (done: 6/21,6/30)
4. Visit the zoo (done: 7/2)
5. Eat ice cream/frozen yogurt on a warm day
6. Enjoy root beer floats (done: 7/8)
7. Go fishing (done: 6/15, 6/16, 6/20, 6/21)
8. Ride in a boat (done: 6/15, 6/16, 6/20, 6/21)
9. Go camping (done: 6/14-6/17, 7/19-7/22)
10. Run/walk a 5k as a family
11. Visit the aquarium (saving this for a rainy day or maybe even a cool, fall day)
12. Party & celebrate Wyatt & Colton turning 2! (done: 7/6,7/7)
13. Play in the rain (done: 5/26)
14. Visit our local splash pad (done: 6/9,7/4)
15. Attend the local county fair (done: 7/13,7/14)
16. Have friends over for a grill-out / campfire
17. Go to a Brewers game (done: 6/16)
18. Splash around in the pool/sprinkler at home on a hot day (done: 6/9,6/10,6/28,7/17, 7/23, 7/25, 7/30)
19. Roast marshmallows
20. Play in the sand & get dirty (done: 7/7,7/8, 7/17, 7/30)
21. Eat fresh corn on the cob (done: 7/23)
22. Visit our local drive-in & eat outside (done: 7/8)
23. Swim in the lake (done: 7/1, 7/8, 7/21)
24. Build a sand castle (done: 7/21)
25. Visit a local farmer’s market & get fresh fruit/veggies (done: 7/23)

I added a couple more from last month because I thought they were worthy of making the list!
We're doing pretty good on the list and enjoying the fun & warmth of summer.

Sunday afternoon at the drive-in

We have an awesome little root-beer stand/drive-in out by the lake where we live. It’s become one of my favorite summer things to do – to make at least one stop out there during the summer.

The day after the boys’ birthday party was another beautiful day, so after their afternoon naps we headed over to enjoy some yummy, un-healthy treats. This drive-in offers the ability to stay in your car & order or enjoy your food/drinks out on one of their many picnic tables. We opted for the picnic table for our visit that afternoon.

We ordered deep fried cheese curds (yes, this is Wisconsin!) and a root beer float. Wyatt enjoyed the cheese curds with mommy & daddy but Colton wasn’t interested. We let them each have a taste of root beer (they had not had any pop before this point) but neither of them was impressed (which is fine with this mommy). I’m sure it was the carbonation that really threw them for a loop. They both sucked up a mouthful through the straw & then had a weird look on their face and did not ask for any more – Wyatt didn’t even swallow his. We also offered them bites of the ice cream from the root beer float but let me tell you, these kids are just not crazy about sweets – unless it’s a rare occasion that they’re in just the right mood.

Daddy & Wyatt - waiting to order.

Mommy & Colton - waiting to order.

The boys...relaxing & swinging!

Mommy, Colton & Wyatt...swinging.

Food time!

After our yummy snacks, we walked across the road from the drive-in to a nice, public beach. The beach was pretty busy that afternoon. We didn’t intend on swimming, but we still took the boys down to the lake to let them splash around a bit & get their toes wet. They really had fun with that!

Mommy & me

Wyatt & mommy

Colton & mommy

Happy 8th Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful hubby, Cory! He is the best husband & most amazing father – more than I could have ever hoped for.

We’ve been together ever since our senior year in high school – and I know it doesn’t sound possible – but I love him more & more every year.

I love our family & the life we’ve built together and couldn’t imagine going through all of this with anyone else!

July 2004

March 2012

Wyatt & Colton’s 2nd Birthday Bash!

We celebrated the boys’ birthday with family & friends with a party on Saturday, the 7th, the day after their actual birthday. The day ended up being a perfect summer day.

(With the high heat & humidity all week, we were very lucky to have it break & have much more comfortable temps back in the 80s for their party day – which let us keep our outdoor party plans, which was awesome because there is no way we could have fit all of those people in our house!!)

We planned the party to start after the boys’ afternoon naps, when they were well rested & in good moods. Of course, they had other plans & both cut their naps short that day, but they were in good moods and had a blast, despite a little lack of sleep.

Wyatt - ready to party!

Colton - ready to party!

There were 8 (+ our 2!) kiddos total – ages 3 & under – having a blast in our backyard. I felt like I was a little too stressed about everything at their party last year (me, really??!!), so this year I kept the menu easy & low-key ~ BBQs & grilled cheese (the boys’, but especially Colton’s, current favorite food!) with fresh fruit, veggies and a cold pasta salad and the theme fun ~ Mickey Mouse! We were lucky to have both grandmas & a couple other friend/family members be so generous to make/bring food to share.

Sand box fun.

The boys, digging, with their 3rd cousin & buddy "J".

Playing.

Fun!

We opened gifts right before we ate & the boys really got into the fun of ripping the paper or digging in the bags. They got a lot of awesome gifts – including monster trucks, Mr. Potato Heads, cute clothes, puzzles, tractors, a Cozy Coupe Truck and a water table.

My good friend, “D”, is a talented baker & made the boys’ Mickey Mouse cake as their gift – which was amazing & a BIG hit! Three cake flavors – white, chocolate & red velvet – all peanut-free!!

Singing "Happy Birthday!" & blowing out the candle.

We did baths & books after all the guests had left for the night – to settle things down a bit.

We all had a blast & I didn’t feel over-stressed this year at all – YAY!!!

Happy Birthday boys – you two make daddy & mommy feel like the luckiest parents in the world! Every day with you is a blessing & we are so happy we got to celebrate 2 years of blessings with you. We love you to the moon & back!

Happy 2nd Birthday Wyatt & Colton!

After a long week off, we finally reached Friday – the boys’ 2nd birthday!

The boys went to daycare the morning of their birthday so that Cory & I could get some birthday party prep work done (we had their birthday party on Saturday the 7th). We picked them up after naps & wanted to do something fun with them outside, but it was way too hot – even in the water!

I was in the middle of washing up the covers for their Anywhere chairs, that afternoon, and they had such a blast crawling around on all the chair stuffing – a great new toy! We then let the boys open up their presents from us and then we headed out for dinner. They’ve finally got the “opening presents is fun!” thing down now & torn right through everything. We got them new crocs, travel Aquadoodle pads, a new Mickey Mouse flip book, Mickey Mouse counting & color flashcards and a Chuggington & Mickey Mouse DVD (mostly to use when camping or travelling & we want to bring their favorite shows along…although now I had to search Amazon & also order a Super Why! DVD because that’s what they’re really LOVING now).

Climbing!

Present opening fun!

We went out for supper at one of the boys’ favorite places – a sports bar/grill – Buffalo Wild Wings. They love it because there is always music playing (sometimes we dance in our chairs more than eat) and TVs all over with sports playing on them. I think Daddy really likes it too – so that might play into why we go there from time-to-time. The boys had a yummy dinner of mac ‘n cheese and corndogs. They gobbled both right up. Cory & I had boneless wings – it was a delicious dinner for all.

Wyatt chowing down his birthday dinner!

Colton cleaning up his birthday dinner plate!

We headed home for a little downtime before the boys headed for bed.

I hope they enjoyed their special day – a little party with “friends” at daycare & the rest of the day with mommy & daddy! 

I really can’t believe these last 2 years have flown by so quickly. These two little boys are the biggest blessings we could have ever received from God.

Happy Birthday Wyatt! Happy Birthday Colton!

2 Year Checkup Update

The boys had their 2 year checkup at our pediatrician on Tuesday.

They graduated to be able to be weighed on the “big” scale & have their height measured against the wall – such big boys. They liked that a lot more than having to lie down on the “baby” scale.

They did one more autism screening at this appointment (it is done at both 18 months & 2 years). There were no physical “tests” this time, just a questionnaire that I needed to fill out for both of them with a list of Yes/No questions pertaining to their normal daily behavior.

We went through all our normal “bragging” about what the boys are doing now including counting to 10, singing the alphabet (mostly), jumping with 2 feet (Wyatt – the doctor was impressed, as this is a 3 year old skill they check for) and showing interest in potty training (mostly Wyatt at home but both show interest at daycare, which I guess is very normal!).

He did his normal checkup & also looked at their teeth. Colton has all teeth in, up to his 1-year molars but Wyatt is still missing a few. This is completely normal, he assured us, and also said that he sees both of the top “I” teeth moving down & getting ready to pop through – more progress!

They always do head measurement, but don’t always write them down for me. I do know Wyatt has always been in the 80-90% for his head circumference & Colton is usually around 40-50%. (We definitely know the difference between their hats at home, just by the size!) Wyatt’s head circumference was 51.2 cm & in the 96%. Colton’s head circumference was 48.9 cm & in the 50%. It’s crazy how just a little bit of difference throws the percentile range they fall into way off!

Here are their updated measurements:
Wyatt – weighs 28 lbs. 7 oz. & is 32.87 inches long
Colton – weighs 28 lbs. 4 oz. & is 33.19 inches long

Wyatt
Birth: 4 lbs 11 oz | 17.5"
1 week: 4 lbs 8 oz | 17.72"
2 weeks: 5 lbs 1 oz | 17.72"
1 month: 6 lbs 8 oz | 19.29"
2 months: 8 lbs 6 oz | 20.47"
4 months: 13 lbs 4 oz | 23.62"
5 months: 16 lbs (35%) | 25.59" (32%)
6 months: 17 lbs 1 oz (34%) | 26.18" (29%)
9 months: 20 lbs 3 oz (43%) | 28.25" (49%)
12 months: 22 lbs 13 oz (48%) | 29.75" (46%)
18 months: 25 lbs 4 oz (41%) | 31.5" (26%)
2 years: 28 lbs 7 oz (50%) | 32.87" (10%)

Colton
Birth: 4 lbs 15 oz | 18"
1 week: 4 lbs 14 oz | 17.91"
2 weeks: 5 lbs 5 oz | 18.11"
1 month: 6 lbs 5 oz | 19.49"
2 months: 8 lbs 4 oz | 20.28"
4 months: 12 lbs 11 oz | 23.43"
5 months: 15 lbs 9 oz (27%) | 24.80" (9%)
6 months: 16 lbs 10 oz (26%) | 26.18" (29%)
9 months: 19 lbs 10 oz (33%) | 28.13" (45%)
12 months: 22 lbs 10 oz (44%) | 29.75" (46%)
18 months: 25 lbs (38%) | 31.9" (37%)
2 years: 28 lbs 4 oz (33%) | 33.19" (50%)

The boys had one last booster vaccination to receive & did very well with it. They both cried, but recovered quickly & were really excited about the Band-Aid that they got afterwards. They are still pointing to their legs & saying “Owie!” & “Band-Aid” – they are so proud of their “owies”! They don’t need any more vaccinations until………….kindergarten!

The appointment went really well & I just LOVE our pediatrician. They both checked out as healthy 2 year olds & we don’t have to come in for any routine checkups until next summer, when they’re 3!

4th of July

I’m catching up – slowly but surely!

The entire country was hit by a massive heat wave the week of the 4th. High temps in our area were in the mid-uppper 90s all week with high humidity. That didn’t make for very much fun doing anything outdoors – unless it was in the water!

Cory headed up north to his dad’s land to help build a garage on the 4th & 5th. The boys & I met my mom, sister & nephews down at the local splash pad to have some fun in the water. We arrived early, right away in the morning when it opened, to beat the heat of the day & the crowds.

The boys had a blast & stayed cool – a win-win!

Filling up the bucket!

Wyatt learning how to "catch" the water in his bucket.

Colton wants to get some too!

Colton, almost ready to go home.
(Cousin "I" running wild in the background!)

Dump!

Enjoying the "little" fountain.

After a BBQ lunch at my parents’ house, the boys & I headed home for naps.

I’d like to say that was the end of our quite day (the boys still go to bed quite early, so there were no fireworks in my 4th celebration this year); but it wasn’t. My parents were bringing pizza over to enjoy with the boys & I that evening, so that my dad could help me with an issue I had been having with my computer. The boys & I decided to make a quick trip to Target to pick up a couple things after naps. On our way home, my bad luck hit – a flat, rear tire. We were stranded on the freeway – two toddlers in tow closing in on dinner time, with temps in the 90s and my husband out of town. It could have been a lot worse, but my parents came to our rescue. My mom sat in the car & entertained the boys while I helped my Dad, with whatever I could, changing the tire out in the scorching heat. I can’t thank my parents enough for helping us out that afternoon. My dad was my lifesaver that day – thank you Dad; you’re the best!

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

We are very lucky to have a beautiful local park that is also home to a variety of different animals (from ducks & monkeys to tigers & zebra). On Cory & my week of the 4th off we decided to take a day trip & explore another zoo about 1 ½ hours away for something new & different. We visited this zoo one time last year with the boys & our close friends and had a really good time.

Monday was forecasted to be another hot day – so we headed out early, right after breakfast. The boys don’t normally take a morning nap but because of the long car ride – they both slept the entire way over! They were nice & rested when we arrived! This zoo has free admission (which is awesome, but donations are accepted) & it has a variety of other animals we don’t get to see at our local zoo.

We saw monkeys, gorillas, penguins, seals, a grizzly bear, polar bears, bison, lions, tigers, giraffes & zebras. We took turns visiting animals outside in the heat & inside in the air conditioning. We also ate our lunch inside to get out of the heat for a bit. We were finishing up shortly after lunch, when the heat of the day was getting to be a little too much to bare. We packed up in the truck & blasted the AC to cool down. After such an exciting morning, & from being a little overheated, the boys again feel asleep shortly after leaving the zoo & slept the whole way home (as did Cory!).

It was such a fun visit to the zoo & wonderful family day.

Wyatt smiling at the seal.

"Nice seal."

Daddy & Colton at the seal show.

Mommy & Wyatt watching the seal show.

Checking out the ducks & flamingos.

Wyatt enjoying his "lion juice" daddy bought as a treat.

Colton loving his "lion juice" daddy bought as a treat.

Daddy & boys - enjoying the giraffes.

Me & my boys - ready to go home & get out of the heat!

Swimming at the lake

The city we live in has a lake on the north side of it. There is a nice public beach & a state park that are available for us to enjoy, but we have yet to take advantage of them with the boys.

Our good friend’s mom lives right on the lake in a beautiful house – we go over there a couple times for cookouts during the summer months. Our friends invited us down for the afternoon on the first Sunday in July (which was a day with temps creeping up in the 90s) to cool off with some swimming. There is a small beach area and the water stays quite shallow quite a ways out. The boys buzzed around in the water with mom & dad and some floaties for a little bit but then were more interested in the sand buckets & shovels on shore.

It was a fun afternoon & a great way to cool off on a pretty warm day. Bailey was even able to join us & get a little swimming in. Thanks “S” family!!

Wyatt diggin...

Colton throwing rocks.

A pail & kid full of mud!

Watching the boats drive by.

Photo dump from the end of June

Still trying to play catch-up from having last week off!

Playing in the tunnel at a friend's house grill out get-together!

Mommy & Colton

Taking a break, playing at the mall.

Out to lunch!

Playing while visiting Papa & Grandma camping.
(We also went to an awesome pool that day,
but of course, I forgot my camera in the car!)

Playing together!