Danger is my middle name!



Lucas is sure growing up fast! As of last month he is now 3.5 years old. I still find this hard to believe at times. Where is the world did my first born baby go?

We have hit the wild age that I knew would someday come. Lucas has always been more of a cautious child and definitely more on the timid side. He really stepped out of this shell once pre-school started and he is only becoming more brave and independent by the day.

I knew that his middle name would come back to bite me in the butt eventually. I guess I just didn't expect it to be this soon! There have been five incidences this month where he pulled the name card. FIVE! Oh lordy...it begins!

The first time completely threw Levi off guard and he laughed pretty hard. Lucas took it upon himself to climb up a rather large ladder and get onto the roof of our shed. When Levi asked what he was doing and warned him that he could fall and get hurt, Lucas simply replied, "I'm not going to fall. My middle name is DANGER!"

Now any incidence where safety is a concern he seems to think that he is immune. Maybe this is just a normal tendency for a toddler boy, but the name choice sure doesn't help.

He's all boy though. His recent obsession are superheros and you'd better believe this boy can tell you all about any character you ask. He's watched all of the movies, and even likes the old school cartoons found of netflix.

Surprise, surprise...he also loves motorcyles just like his dad.

Any chance to take a ride around the block and this kid jumps for joy. He recently took a ride with his Uncle Pete and they passed a fire truck. Apparently Lucas thrusted his arm into the air and yelled "Motorcycle...yeah!" to the firemen while grinning ear to ear. He wouldn't stop riding and was nearly blue and frozen when we convinced him to put the bike away.

He's also really into climbing!

He loves some of the indoor rock walls and is getting pretty good at climbing them solo. There is one at his favorite indoor bounce place and a number of birthday parties that we've recently attended had one. Levin takes a lot of interest in watching him climb the walls...I forsee two wild little climbers on our hands!

He's also a huge fan of climbing outdoors, too. Who wouldn't love climbing around on rocks while pretending to be a superhero? Expecially in this beautiful Alaskan summer that we've had.

He loves parks, walks, hikes and just being outdoors in general. Summer has been fun with all the water play, but he's even content just having a picnic and flying a kite. We've even just had a number of picnics in our front yard per his request.

Along with the hard play of summer comes a really tired boy at the end of the day. We've been having quite a few meltdowns in the late evening so we recently bumbed bedtime up to 7:30-8p. The sun has been waking him up way earlier than it should so we had to make some adjustments on the other end. It seems to be making a difference and I really don't mind the extra quiet time in the evenings!



Super Dad!

Not that we need a special holiday to celebrate how wonderful of a father Levi is, last weekend just so happened to be Father's Day... so we did just that!
I am continuously impressed at how amazing he is with our boys. I am beyond blessed to have him as my partner as we tackle this crazy little thing called parenthood. I can always trust that he will go above and beyond and put their best interests first. I couldn't have chosen a better daddy for my children. We are a great team, but we differ in just the right amount of aspects. My children are oh so lucky to have him!

If only all his old friends could see him now...he is 100% daddy. Poop changing, bath giving, story reading, bike riding, play fighting DAD! Seeing my three guys together just melts my heart. The boys obviously adore, love, and admire him. No one can break this bond!
So I did learn something very important this year....three year olds are awful at keeping secrets! I think next year Lucas may have to be kept out of the loop until the last possible minute. Levi walked in the door after work one evening and Lucas blurted out "tomorrow is going to be a very special day but I'm not allowed to tell you about it!" All night long he would reference to the gifts, but would also throw in the fact that Levi's not allowed to know. It was hilarious.

I got a few cute ideas off Pinterest and we went to work. We started off by making a card that was folded as a tee-shirt. Lucas loved doing this with me since he just recently discovered the wonderul art of origami.

Next we decided to make something special and surprise him with his all time favorite...fruit snacks! We covered a 6-pack case of root beer with scrapbook paper to match the tie on the card. I got some adorable print outs online and we got to work filling each bottle. This was also a difficult task to do with a three year old since many of the fruit snacks somehow made a detour into his mouth! Regardless, I think it turned out really cute.

Needless to say, the bottles didn't last very long. Levi is a true fruit snack addict.

We also made a picture of all of our hands together. I still love looking back at the handprint art piece we did for Levi's very first Father's Day in 2009. Baby hands are just too precious!

It's a little difficult to see in the picture because of the glare, but the scrapbook paper was really nice quality and has a bit of a shimmer to it. I am still pretty blown away at how similar the boys' hand sizes are. Levin is growing entirely too fast.

Overall, we had a really good day as a family. We went to Friday's for lunch and were surprised when we found out that children eat free on Sundays, Dads got a free slice of pie, and they had a $5 drink menu. Score! And the weather was gorgeous all day, too. It's not often that we get to spend an entire day together as family, but I'm happy we were able to on this occasion.

10 Months!

My oh my...it's about time to start the countdown until Levin's first birthday already! This year is flying by!

He is now 10 months old and getting wilder by the day! He continues to destroy our house every chance that he gets, and never fails to help himself to anything and everything. But now he knows when he's getting in to something that he shouldn't. He's started a new game where he will wait until we look and then throw everything around while giggling. He has quite the arm and will even play fetch with himself for a half hour at a time. It's also the same when he's sneaking back into one of the rooms. He'll patiently wait at the door until he makes eye contact. Then he races away as fast as his little body can crawl laughing the entire time. This is such a fun age!

As mobile as he has been for a bit it's no surprise that he's already trying out his next big leap...walking! He is getting really brave and has taken a few steps on several occasions. But right now what he's most comfortable doing is just standing around. I've seen him stand for upwards of about 30-40 seconds at a time. He's even getting comfortable enough that he can twist around while standing up. Walking is surely in the near future, but i'm not in any rush. Yes, I'll even admit that I've pushed him down a time or two. I love the crawling phase and want to get the most out of it!

I am so excited that it is summertime! We have been blessed with some gorgeous weather lately and you can sure believe that we've been taking advantage of it! This child LOVES the water! I wonder if being born into the water has created this effect because Lucas sure wasn't this intrigued at 10 months old.

One day was even a scortching 70 degrees so me and boys went and spent a few hours at the lake. I didn't expect Levin to be as adventurous as he was. But then again, I shouldn't be all that surprised. Apparently there's not much relaxing at the beach with this one...he couldn't sit still! He literally crawled along the shore line and even booked it straight out into the water. He could care less that the water was getting deeper and deeper! So I spent quite a while walking him outwards. Boy did he get mad when I tried to walk him back to shore though. Thanfully he realized fairly quickly that the sand was all that tasty. Quite the success if I do say so.

Although still not a huge fan of grass, he's doing much better. Like I said before, we've been spending lots of time outdoors. He is quite the little mimicker theese days, too. He loves to copy actions and repeat words and his newest favorite it clapping whenever somebody says "yay!"

He's even big enough to enjoy playing with some of the outdoor toys. Not to mention the nice little tan he has going on! I'm glad that he enjoys the outdoors so much. Nice way to tire him out!

Although he is mostly on the go, I can still get a few little cuddle sessions in with my little monster. Isn't this a great picture? It was taken by my little photographer, Lucas!

His verbal skills are really picking up and he is still a wonderful sleeper. His is also a great eater! This kid will eat just about anything I put in front of him, and will even beg like a dog if you're eating in his presence. He still only has two teeth, but we suspect the top ones are coming in soon.

Hazelwood Teething Necklace

Lucas was an awful teether. Each and every tooth popped up individually (never in a pair) and the process was long and painful....for everyone. Half of me thought that I deserved a break this time around, but then I slapped some sense into myself and decided that I shouldn't just sit around waiting on luck. Chances are I wouldn't get my way anyways.

I've heard many good things about teething necklaces but I was so stubborn and didn't want to put a necklace on my son. Period. Had I have had a girl I would have be more open to the idea, but it just wasn't something I saw as an option. This time however, my parenting has changed in many ways. I find myself more laxed, less cautious, and more open to new ideas/experiences. I guess that goes with living and learning!

So I did a little research and decided that it couldn't hurt to get one for Levin. I ordered mine from Tiny Teethers and it was here in about one week. We went with the grey and green beads in an attempt to have it look as masculine as possible. Many people chose to use the Amberwood, but I decided to go with a Hazelwood one for many reasons: it'll all organic and has various natural healing properties in addition to teething relief.

Hazelwood has the medicinal property to neutralize the body's acidity levels. Teething causes acidity levels to rise and results in pain, acidic drool/diaper rash, and even eczema. Unfortunately, Levin's poor skin was covered in eczema so I figured the hazelwood would be a win-win for us.

And what do you know...it worked! His skin has been clear (with a few minor areas) ever since we got the necklace. He has two teeth at the moment but I can tell more are on their way. He doesn't seem near as fussy as he was with the firsts and I have to admit that the necklace has totally grown on me. It gives him this hippy/hawaiian baby kind of look :)

9 Months!

My oh my, where has the time gone? Levin is now NINE months old and really turning into a little boy.  Sadly, I watch his babyness dwindle away a little more each day. It's not fair that they grow so darn fast, but I truly do love watching him develop. Words cannot describe how much I love this little soul.

He's into everything and always on the go!  We've had to bust out the baby gate to keep him secluded in the front of the house. If he makes his way to the kitchen he goes straight for the dog food, and he races to play in the toilet any time he can. He also tries to book it out the door as soon as it's opened. I had forgotten how diligent you have to be with a crawler. He's so determined and so so sneaky!

I was shocked to find out that he actually lost a pound during this last month, but also that he shot up a whole inch and a quarter. Levi made a comment that he seemed taller and boy was he right! I'm afraid these chunky legs are going to start thinning out soon with all his speed crawling and couch cruisin'. I love baby rolls...hopefully they stick around a while longer.

He is trying so hard to walk already, too!  He is a pro at cruising along the couch and I swear he's close to running along side it. He loves his little push walker also and is starting to "walk" all around the living room.

Levin loves to be outside just like his big brother! We've been going to a handful of parks lately since the weather has been so nice and it's wasn't a surprise to find out that he loves to swing. Who doesn't loved to be pushed?!

He's also a huge fan of the bike trailer. My heart about melted when I came home early from class one day and found Levi pulling the boys up and down the road. Both boys usually end up passing out after a short amount of time, but it's something that they both love. And it's definitely a workout!

We've been having our fair share of picnics these days. Levi built a fire pit out back and we had dinner outside recently. I was so impressed when he sat at this mini-picnic table to eat his snack. Food always gets his attention! Oh, and speaking of which...he now has TWO teeth! And he's been trying lots of fun new foods with his little chompers.

This is him doing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" song with me and Lucas! His all-time favorite song though is "I'm a Little Teapot" and it's hilarious to watch him light up when I start singing. There have been a handful of occasion where I've sung other songs back to back and he shows little to no interest. As soon as I begin his favorite song, his expression changes and he starts dancing. It's adorable! He also has a singing toy he got from his Great Grandma Debbie on Easter that he dances with. He sways his arms and his body while singing "hop, hop." I really need to get it on video!

 

He spends most of his days terrorizing his big brother! I give it a few more months and they'll be full on wrestling. I'm amazed at how strong Levin is already.

His vocabulary is really starting to expand! He's made up his own word...."gog". It's our ongoing family joke and we always find ourselves shouting "gog" at everything. He is so serious when he says/shouts it. I wish I knew what he was really trying to say.

He says "dada" all the time but I'm still waiting for mama. He'll say it on occasion, but it's nothing like the ways he calls for his daddy. Sometimes he even just yells "DAD!". He also says "ni-night" when he's going to bed. It's beyond adorable! He's very attached to his blanket and insists on holding it while he nurses and sleeps. While he was boobing today he kept feeling around for it and couldn't get a grasp. He unlatched, looked at me with the most pitiful face and whined "ni-night". I about died of cuteness overload! He's even put the two phrases together a handful of times and said "ni-night dada". I love our night time routine....it's one of the highlights of my day. We go around and he kisses everyone and says his goodnights. I lay him down, cover him up, and he smacks his lips until I kiss him!

 

On the sleeping note I am very jealous of his cuddles with daddy. He rarely cuddles with me these days. It appears that those are all reserved for Levi. For some reason both of the boys prefer to be nuzzled up next to their daddy. I shouldn't complain though...at least I get to witness all the love!

Lucas and I call him our little Mohawk Man! I can't believe how much hair he has already. After we rub him down with lotion we run a tad over his scalp. Doubles as a perfect gel!

I love love love this boy! He's so happy, smart, energetic, and attentive. So excited for him to explore the Alaskan outdoors this summer. Our backyard make-over is in effect. Time to build more structures for this wild one!

Last Day of Preschool

I cannot believe that Lucas' first year of preschool is already over! Today we had a large party that included games, a magic show and an ice cream social. I'm so glad that I was able to participate before getting slammed with school again myself.

The classroom caterpillars that have been in their chrysalis' for the past few weeks finally hatched! What perfect timing, too. Lucas really enjoyed toting around the butterflies and showing them off to all of his friends. 

The magic show was a super hit! Lucas woke up this morning at 6am asking to go. He was really looking forward to it! It was put on by Magic By Robbie, one of the student's father. He did an amazing job and the children were in absolute awe the entire time. Lucas was asked to come up and help demonstrate a trick and was told that he had "magic pants." Robbie tied two handkerchiefs together and looped it through Lucas' belt loop. He then pulled on one end while another student pulled on the other. I about died laughing when they pulled the handkerchief right off his pants and everyone saw a pair of underwear tied in the middle! Lucas was so embarrassed and immediately looked in his pants to see if his underwear were still on. Levi and I honestly thought that he was about to start crying as he ran away. It was definitely a must see! I recorded it on my iPhone and then was informed that I didn't have enough memory left, so it couldn't be saved. I'm really bummed, but Levi and I will never forget the look of pure shock and embarrassment on our child's face! I doubt he'll ever volunteer for a magic show again.

He ended his final day running around the playground with his two best friends, Autumn and Jacob. I'm so happy that they are all continuing on next year in the 3-day class because they've all bonded so much over this past school year. Thankfully, the preschool organizes weekly play dates at various parks so that the children and families can all stay in contact.

I can't believe how much Lucas has grown and changed during this year. I've watched his imagination and creativity blossom, and his social skills surpass my expectations. He's no longer the quiet little boy I once knew. Coming into the preschool setting he was shy, standoffish, and merely and observer. Now, he jumps right on in to activities and fulfills many dramatic roles. He has become very independent and so confident in himself. He loves to sing and dance and has gained some pretty extensive knowledge! He's formed genuine friendships with a few of his classmates and he absolutely adores his wonderful teacher. We sure love ACP!

Now we've just got to figure out how to entertain this energetic child all summer long!

The big cut

We finally did it...we cut Lucas' hair! I have been wanting to do this for quite some time but he made it very clear that he wanted to keep his long hair. Although your child's appearance is somewhat of a reflection on your parenting, his hair was just that...HIS hair. Even at three, he had strong opinions on how he wanted it to look.

One day he got very frustrated when his hair kept getting into his eyes and he screamed out, "I need a haircut!" I asked him if he was sure and he kept assuring me that he wanted to have short hair now. We waited a few days so that he could contemplate his decision and be certain that it was truly what he wanted. Levi picked him up from preschool a few days later and they made a pit stop at Great Clips. Apparently Lucas did fantastic! He jumped right up into the chair, pointed out what he wanted his hair to look like, and sat perfectly still the entire time. I am so proud! Levi said that he acted like he was ten and had been getting haircuts his whole life. I love his new cut and think that it makes him look so much older. Isn't he handsome?! Sure is a mini version of his daddy!

But most importantly, he loves it. I haven't heard a single comment of regret and he seems very content with his decision. Big strides for independence and maturity!

(Sorry Hannah...he's no longer "Buzz Longhair." Time for a new nickname!)