Adventuredome

We were invited to a birthday party at The Adventuredome at Circus Circus and Mason had a blast.  It was a little too crowded for my taste, but I will take him back on a weekday.

 Sonic!

I was so afraid he was going to climb out of there!

Field Trip (again...)

This is now the third field trip that Mason's class has been on to the same place.  I understand that it is convenient, but even 4 and 5 year olds want some variety.  Oh well.  I went along again, and this time organized a security escort on the walk!  There is major construction work along Valley View right now so I had our security guards and the Springs walk us the back way so we wouldn't have to be on the street.  I hope the other parents appreciated it.  It does make me wonder why no other parents are as worried as I am.

Mason was very proud that his mom got to be the line leader.  I love to see his interactions with his friends and the teachers.  I know he is not exactly the same since I am around, but he is basically the same dynamic boy that I know all the time.  He is a leader.

I am having a lot of trouble getting time to write these posts, so I am just going to post pictures (again).  Eventually I will get more descriptive.

 This is Ms. Margot.  She is my favorite!

 We had a picnic lunch out here, and the weather couldn't have been better.

After a long walk back they all were pooped and ready for night night.  It was nice to see his nap routine, and this is his preferred spot.  He still loves his blanket!  This one is just for school because I wouldn't dare let his real blanket leave the house.

He discovered the top bunk

After two years he was finally brave enough to check out the top bunk.

I don't have a mattress up there yet, but it looks like he likes it.  I hope the boys share a room.  The next day Dad installed the ladder, and the following day I un-installed the ladder after my little monkey boy (Alex) spent the entire next day climbing up the ladder but refusing to climb down.  I don't want any trips to the emergency room, so the ladder is going away for awhile.

Easter

Easter is one of my favorite holidays, mainly because it is usually such good weather.  I was trying to be supermom and had three events scheduled for the day.  Yikes!  They all went good, but I was a tired puppy at the end of the day.

Mason got Angry Birds Knock on Wood!!!

 Notice how he already has the ipad in his hands.  He was playing with it early in the morning so I could sleep for a few more minutes.  Then all of a sudden he screamed, "It's easter!" and he remembered that meant he probably would have an easter basket downstairs. (Sidenote: Alex got bubbles).

(This is a hands-on Angry Birds where you build some setup and then catapult the birds to knock it down)

 First stop was to a park with my Working Moms Meetup group.

 Alex really bonded with this little boy.

 The big kids getting ready for their egg hunt.

 They hid the eggs pretty good for the older kids.

 Alex still wanted in on the action with the big kids.

 Now it was time for the little kids.

 He had a really good time and strangely knew exactly what to do.  How do they know these things?

Next stop (after a nap) was at my friend's families house.  It was so nice of them to invite us over and they had gotten the boys another easter basket full of goodies.

 These are some brave people, giving 4 kids hula hoops inside their house!

 Easter egg hunting in Las Vegas is not as pretty as some of my other out-of-town friends with acres and acres of beautiful green grass.

Then we went to my dad's for dinner with all the cousins.  I forgot to take pictures though.  It was overall a very nice but tiring day.

The Smith Center

First of all, what was I thinking?!?! Last post I was bragging about my baby and what a rockstar sleeper he is....I should have known he would pick the night that I didn't go to sleep until after midnight to wake up at 3:30 am screaming at the top of his lungs.  Then of course, Mason wakes up, then Owen wakes up...Ugh.  Owen went back to sleep as soon as I told him the time.  Mason on the other hand, is totally awake and ready for the day.  I laid in my bed as the boys crawled all over me for the next two hours.  Then Alex finally fell back asleep for one hour, but Mason and I are still awake.

How many more years until I will ever feel rested?

However, last night was great.  I loved every minute of the play.  I am so excited for the next three plays.  My sisters and my mom all bought season tickets for The Smith Center.  Next season's line-up was just released and it is way better than this season.  I can't wait!  I think it is a bargain; 8 plays are still less than $300.

I am tired, so I am just going to post the pictures...

Laurence, my life saver

My office building

The view from our seats

TWENTY-THREE MONTHS!

Really?  23 months?  Wow.  I think I said this before, but 0-12 months seemed to take forever, 12 months to now has literally been a blink of an eye.  He is so much easier now - not that he was ever really hard - but now it is easy.  However, he is starting to have more fits.  He has learned how to manipulate.  He is stubborn.  He is classic for purposely standing just out of my reach and then start pouting so that I have to come to him and console.  He will never take a step towards me, he always waits for me to come to him.  I don't always come because I don't like this behavior, but I am a momma and I hate to see tears forming in his eyes.  He is such a stinker though, because he often laughs out loud as soon as I pick him up - tears and laughter - what a combination!

Here are a couple of his favorite routines...

He loves his baths

Sun Salutation

Snuggled up!

• Waking: He always wakes up with a smile! (always a few minutes too early)
• Breakfast: He gets his sippy cup with milk, banana (always whole, he will not eat one piece if I cut it), cheerios, Aussie Bites muffin, and a few bites from Mom's bagel.
• Getting Ready: He is obsessed with brushing his teeth - just like Mason.  He panics nearly every day that I will leave him in the morning, so he always rushes to get his shoes on.  I have no idea where this comes from; I have never left him, but it is very similar to dogs who often get anxious when they see the signs of someone getting ready to go.  
• Shoes: Speaking of shoes...He loves shoes.  He can play a game for a very long time of just putting my slippers on my feet, then he puts them on his feet, then puts then on my feet, and so on...Speaking of feet: Holy Cow!  This boys has some ginormous feet.  They are wide and solid and HUGE!  He is wearing Mason's old shoes that he wore at 3!  He is wearing Mason's 4T to 5T socks, and they are too tight!  I am not sure if Mason is dainty or if Alex is just large.  
• Driving to Daycare: He loves the music that we play in the car, especially the "Yucky" song.  He isn't talking, but he sings (mumbles) along with with the "Ewww! Yucky, yucky, yucky, yucky, yucky, yucky, Ewww!" part.  I will have to record it one of these days.
• Daycare: He loves Laurence just like Mason did.  I don't think I have had one drop off that included tears.  I don't think he does this anymore, but I haven't shared the story: Laurence has a bird (I am not sure what kind, but the kind that will walk around the house and acts more like a cat than a bird).  This bird promptly flies back in his cage every time one of the kids will get close to him, but he will let Alex get right next to him and they "talk" back and forth, nose to beak.  Laurence says that he has a special connection to animals.
• Evenings: I just love coming home.  Both of the kids greet me with the biggest smiles and hugs.  This is one thing (I think) that stay-at-home moms miss out on.  The missing part.  The reconnection part.  It is the best!
• Bath time: He loves the bath!  He knows that after dinner he gets to take a bath, and you can tell that he is starting to get excited for bath the second he is released from the high chair.  He squeals and giggles and shakes his body.  Then he runs up the stairs as fast as possible and waits right in front of the bathroom door (I keep is shut or else he would play in the toilet).  He loves to put his mouth right under the faucet.  The boys play pretty well together in the bath.  Usually the only bad times are when I am impatient or in a bad mood and keep telling them to stop squealing or splashing.  I try really hard to be patient.  Seriously, I am a much better mind with ear plugs.  Noise really gets to me sometimes.
• Yoga-time: I am trying to stick with this routine of doing 20 minutes of yoga after bath time.  It makes me feel so much better and is a good wind down for the boys.  I love watching the boys do the yoga moves.  Alex's favorite is sun salutation.  He will be off doing something, and when he hears the words, sun salutation, he runs up to the ipad and raises his hands up overhead, and then as soon as that part is over, he runs back to whatever he was doing
• Night-Night: He goes to bed between 7 and 7:30 and usually without much fuss.  He likes to help me fill up the humidifier, especially the plugging it into the wall part.  I know that is not a good thing to teach him, but he loves it so much, I could never take it away from him.  He snuggles down on his big pillow and blanket.  He has grown out of the grunting his way to sleep.  Now he just bounces around a little and then falls asleep.  He has always been a rockstar sleeper and never wakes up in the night.  

So that is a good snapshot of Alex's life right now.  We love him so much! 

(Sorry about the picture placement.  I tried to move them but they seem to be stuck up there at the top of the post - deal with it)

2011 In Photos - Smile

I was a little late in doing this project, but promised myself I would get it done in one setting.  It is not perfect, but it is done, and that is what matters.

Smile :)