Our kids are funny :)

Our kids have been making us laugh so much lately.  They get along so cute (most of the time!).  They play together from sun-up until sun-down and thoroughly wear us out.  :)  I'm so glad they have each other to play with, because by the end of the day, Brock and I can barely keep up with them.

Drake is seriously like a puppy dog.  All he wants is to be played with ALL DAY LONG.  He wants to be chased, tickled, spun around, and tossed in the air.  He is talking so much lately, it's hilarious.  He's really into colors right now - He'll say, "Momma!  Blue shirt!"  "Orange ball!"  He'll comment on the color of signs on the road, the colors of a movie case, whatever he notices.  It's so funny that he was barely saying anything just a month ago.

The other funny (well, actually it's not so funny) thing he is doing is saying "Why?" all the time.  Yesterday I told him he is not allowed to ask that yet, he just started talking!  We'll be like, "Drake, it's time to pick up."  "But why?", he says.  It's his response to anything we ask him to do that he doesn't want to.  It's funny to hear him say it because he says it all innocent-like, but it's starting to get frustrating.  :)  Ha!

Mia is hilarious with her school stories.  Like I mentioned before, she won't tell us anything if we ask.  She'll just do a 'brain dump' as I call it when she is ready.  The other night I was making dinner, and here is what I hear her saying to Drake and her apparent 'class' in the other room (I had to write it down so I didn't forget because I was laughing so hard to myself!)...

"Okay, we're going to play Duck, Duck, Goose.  But first I need you guys to go potty.  Do I have all my Little Critters?  (their class is the Little Critters at preschool) Everyone got your name tags?  Okay.  Now I'm gonna count to 3, then everyone is going to pick up these cards (so I come over to help Drake pick up the flash cards they scattered on the ground).  One, two, three.  I'll hold the box open, you guys put the cards back. (I start talking to Drake as we're picking up the cards)  Now stop talking and please pick up."

She told me the other day she wants to be the teacher, and all I could say was, "You think?!"  She definitely likes to be in charge, always has.  :)

One other quick funny about her - we were baking something the other day, and as I was cleaning up the kitchen for the ump-teenth time that day, I was like, "Mia, you know what?  I think all moms do is clean up the kitchen all day long.  That's what a mom does, clean up".  Here's what she said to me: "You know what I think we should do?  I think we should stop eating so there won't be any dishes to do.  But know what?  I think I'm going to forget I said that so I can have breakfast tomorrow."  Ha!  The thought process that her mind goes through never ceases to amaze me.

Oh yeah, sorry, one more funny thing - I guess there is this girl in her class with short blond hair.  She has told me several times, "Mom, she has blond, really really short hair.  It's like Drake's!  It's really short."  She's told me so many times, it must bother her or something to see a little girl with 'hair like Drake's' - Ha!!  :)

Okay, enough of the stories.  Here are some pics.  Brock's dad sent Drake's birthday gift early, a tool bench.  The kids love it, and of course Mia thinks it is her gift, too.  :)

The funniest one of the bunch - I think we need to show Drake what the drill is for...lol  :)

Thanks for checking on us!!

Apple Pickin' and Movie Night

First of all, a little update on Mia and school.  She's doing really well, I think she likes it.  Of course she doesn't want us to know.  We can't ever ask her about school or she says, "Mom!  Quit talking about it!"  But when we least expect it, she will give us a total brain dump of what happened last time at school (this can be days later!).  Oh Miss Mia.  Everything has to be done on her time, according to her schedule!  Suddenly she'll say, "Clara wasn't at school yesterday.  She was at her grandma's for a whole week.  And we got to go to LOTS of different classrooms yesterday!  I don't know what all the different teachers' names were, but I DO know what they were all wearing."  And then the next day she would say, "Mom, I do remember one of the different teachers' names - Miss Shelley.  And she had an alligator in her room.  He doesn't talk, but he does say the sound 'a'".  She is so funny.  We get pictures every preschool-day from her teacher, and you can tell she is having fun.  She just doesn't want us to know.

We already had homework to prepare for Mia's first day - we had to make a collage of pictures of items from home - here are the 2 pictures Mia wanted to take for her collage...

her and her babies...

She wanted a picture of Drake, too!

Here are a couple of them in their hoodies - Mia was so proud she got Drake dressed and zipped up...

This weekend we went apple picking, the kids had a great time.  We have SO many apples right now, I'm not sure what to do with them!  We've already made some apple crisp, I think we are going to have to make some serious batches of applesauce!  Today Mia was so anxious to get them all washed, that's all she talked about all morning.  I guess we were taking too long, so she took it upon herself to move them over to the sink.  Brock and I were at the kitchen table, and suddenly we hear "thud thud thud thud thud! thud thud!...Um... guys... a couple of the apples fell on the floor."  Yeah - try 10 pounds of them!  So we have a lot of bruised ones now...

Every time we go picking, Mia has to bring her 'picking bucket' - green beans, raspberries, apples, strawberries - it doesn't matter!!

 Drake and the llama, except he calls everything a 'moo'  :)

They got to ride ponies, too!

Drake's turn!

After Drake got off, he said, "Mom!  I ride a moo!"  Like I said, virtually every animal with 4 legs is a moo.  :)

This one just makes me laugh, shoving this big ol' strawberry in his mouth

Oh I love this face and his big blue eyes  :)

The last few weekends, we've had movie night in the basement.  Of course the kids LOVE it.  Mia especially loves the popcorn!

This is usually how Drake sits, with his hands behind his head!  Ha!

That's all for now - I'm sure I'll have more funny stories about Mia and school here shortly.  She certainly doesn't keep us lacking for laughs.  :)

First Day of School, Take 2!

Well Tuesday was Mia's first day of school (I'm sure you remember last year ended abruptly with a broken leg from a teacher's misstep...), and fortunately it went well!  Of course she didn't want us to know she liked it, but when Brock first picked her up, she told him she wanted to stay there.  So that was a good sign!  However, when we were getting her ready for school today, she told me she was not going back, that she only wants to go "one day a year."  In case you didn't know already, my name is Angie and I have a strong-willed child.  :)  But when I picked her up today, she was in a great mood.  But she wants to know why I leave her there so long - ha!  For a little one who has spent virtually 24/7 with her mommy, I guess being somewhere with strangers for any length of time would seem long.  :)

Here are a few we snapped before we left the house:

She has been really great with Drake lately, I am so thankful for that.  At the end of the day if she hits the trifecta (no time-outs, eats all her dinner, and picks up all her toys), she gets a 'special treat'.  I'm sure I've posted about this before.  It's something she looks forward to all day long, and she is devastated whenever she gets a time-out because it means no special treat.  Lately she has been sharing her special treat with Drake, it is so darn cute.  They both get so excited to share.  :)  Here she is sharing her popsicle with him, telling me, "I got it mom!  I can feed him!"

We've had a busy summer!  I've been super busy with photo shoots (which I still can't quite wrap my head around... I still get a flutter every time I hear from someone new) and am definitely playing catch up on the editing side right now.  But a few weeks ago I had one at the IMA, so we brought the kids, and Brock wandered around with them while I was 'working'.  I don't know why I put that in quotes.  :)  Anyways, they LOVED it there.  My mom has been hinting that she doesn't have a good picture of the 2 of them together - "I just want one of the both of them" she says.  You know what?  So do I!  Ha!  But here is always what happens:

They are obviously not dressed for pictures since they were just putzing around the IMA, but I can't even get them to look at me with smiles at the same time.  One of these days I will take the time to dress them up, take them out, and do some head swaps on their pictures.  I do it for my clients all the time, I guess I should do it for my own photos.  :)  Here's to hoping.

We also went to the State Fair in August.  The kids loved it.  Animals and funnel cakes?  What could be better?!  The weather was awesome because we went at night.  We had such a great time.  We also went down to the canals a few weeks ago and rented one of those 'golf cart bikes' - well, that's what we told Mia anyways.  I'm not sure they technically have a name, but that is the best description I could come up with for Mia.

It was actually a great time.  However, they require MUCH more pedaling effort than you might think!  Brock and I were certainly ready to be done at the end.  And it didn't help that we had a little pipsqueak in the front basket directing us: "Guys, go faster!" "Dad, make sure you turn, we don't want to go into the water." "Dad, watch out for that dog" "Mom, ring the bell so we don't hit those people!"  Oh, I could laugh out loud right now just thinking about it! It was so fun.

Drake is doing great with his arm.  He's finally starting to use it like normal again.  He, however, got out of practice eating with his right hand and really feeding himself at all, so we are trying to re-train him. :)  Yesterday he wanted some help with his oatmeal, but I told him he needed to do it on his own.  Mia goes, "Drake.  I have seen you feed yourself several times." Ha!

Oh my.  Well, sorry for the long update, I guess it's been too long since I've posted.  Here are a few more of my little pies...

They like sitting next to each other in the morning while they're watching their video.  And Drake had just woke up, hence the pacifier...

By the way, he's talking a bunch more lately!  It's definitely not all understandable, but he tries to say everything.  Putting little phrases together and the whole bit!  So cute.  (I know Mia was having full conversations with us at this point, but we are just thankful he is talking!!) 

See you soon!