Out Takes

Usually after a trip I post pics I'm proud of but tonight I needed some light hearted moments. So I'm posting some pictures from a fun trip in Sacto with out takes and just some pictures that make me smile.

He makes it obvious when he needs to go to the bathroom!

I'm going to use this for blackmail when he's an adult since this is how I'll remember his younger years.

Fishing is all about the snacks and "BobBob Juice"

A teeny tiny fish that he "caught".

How he was for about 20-30 mins after the "Jumpy Squirrel" bit him.

Bonding time watching "Sophia the First"

It's All Fun and Games....

This morning my parents took P fishing at a local fishing hole. I'm glad there are people in his life that subject him to many things, especially since I can't stand fishing and would never take him. It took awhile for him to "catch a fish" but he was so proud of himself when he did. The fish was about the size of his hand so we obviously didn't keep it but he was happy none-the-less. Everything was going good until he tried to feed the squirrels. He thinks every animal is his friend but today he found out, first hand, that wild animals aren't always so nice. He and my dad were feeding a squirrel some Cheetos when all of a sudden it mistook P's finger for a Cheeto. It bit him but luckily didn't draw blood or break the skin. The experience did shake him up quite a bit and it took about 15 mins for him to stop crying. Luckily he had the memory of catching a fish to overshadow the squirrel biting him.

Hunting Story

P and I spend hours telling stories. Usually I start with a simple story or two and then P tells me his story. His story always includes at least some part of my story but with a lot more detail. This is one of his recent stories that has become my favorite....
"I was going to Gee's hotel and I saw a big elk. So I drew my bow back to my mouth and let my arrow go. BANG! CRASH! BOOM! (He always tells this part with LOUD enthusiasm.) I tried to catch my arrow but BOOM! it hit the elk's butt! Then I found my arrow and I cut up the meat and I had it for dinner. Then I went to Gee's hotel."

The way he tells this story always has me in hysterics! I love his imagination, how he can take something so simple and make it so grand. This is definitely something that I hope is not just a phase because it brings me so much joy every day!

Exploring

I don't like sitting around the house, especially on a nice day. Time with my boys is too precious to waste so P and I decided to go exploring since it's one of our favorite past times. Unfortunately Easton hasn't learned to appreciate it yet so he cried until I put him in the baby carrier. Here are some of the things I captured on film while we roamed around the State Capitol grounds and the train museum....

Playing Hooky

If I worked at a job where I got paid in currency instead of kisses and snuggles I would've played hooky today. It's one of those days where the weather changes by the minute- sunny then raining then windy then sunny and windy then raining then... It's one of those stay-in-sweats-lay-in-bed-and-read kind of days. It took willpower to put on jeans this morning after my shower. It took even more willpower to get anything accomplished today. Despite getting some groceries, taking P to play with one of his buddies, running the dishwasher and doing a load of laundry I still don't feel like it's been a productive day. But it's been enough to wear me out. The boys are asleep and I'm right behind Maybe tomorrow the sun will be out and it'll be warm enough to motivate me to do more. But, as of right now, I'm going to enjoy laying in bed, reading and napping on this winter like afternoon.

Nursing

I laughed this morning at the differences between the boys. When Easton is done nursing he cries much like his older brother used to do. However, P would cry because he was still hungry. Easton seems to cry because he loves to eat so much and is sad to be done! It's probably because it's much more enjoyable to nurse this time around. With P I was embarrassed and stressed out every time. It was a difficult struggle for the 6 months that I tried it. With Easton I feel a sense of empowerment. I feel like because it was so difficult with P, I'm entitled to enjoy nursing Easton because it's easy this time. I don't think twice about nursing Easton in public (with a cover) where I only did it once with P and it was a horrible experience. It's nice to experience the difference, to not feel like a failure when it comes to nursing. I'm sure y'all could care less about this blog (except maybe the moms that can relate) but I just wanted to share a joyful moment this morning when Easton cried because of the joy he gets from eating (If you've seen his picture recently you can see how much he loves to eat!)

Easter Weekend

I like to do every holiday up big (except maybe Thanksgiving). I'm truly a kid at heart! Parades, parties, treats?? Bring it on! So it comes as no surprise that Easter began on Good Friday for us and ended last night. Friday I took P on an Easter egg hunt with a play group. Then Saturday we drove to my parents' to spend Easter with them for the first time in a few years. They went above and beyond to do an egg hunt full of goodies for P. We also dyed Easter eggs. (Actually my mom did most of them because of P's short attention span.) That night my parents gave Rob and me an Easter gift by treating us to dinner and watching the boys so we could go on a real date. It was a lot of fun to be just a married couple instead of parents trying to rush through dinner before a castrophe hits. Sunday we went to my parents' church
where there was another egg hunt. (We have a ridiculous amount of candy now!) It was special because my aunt and cousins went to my parents' church as well so we filled up a couple pews, something that never happens with our family events. After church we went back to my parents' to enjoy a nice ham dinner before heading back home.
I tried to do my best to make P aware of the fact that Easter isn't about candy and egg hunts but about Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the grave. I don't want him so focused on the commercialism of a religious holiday that he forgets the true meaning of it. He came home from his last day of school on Thursday and told me, in great detail, about the Resurrection. It made me so happy to know that, although I didn't necessarily like the school (hence the reason we pulled him out), he did get some good Biblical foundation.
It turned out to be a great Easter weekend, one that I will remember for years to come!

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