I made it sunny!

As many of you know, we have LOT to update...but one thing at a time, and time to play catch up on a few fun family updates! (This blog layout has changed and is SUPER annoying to update with pictures so I have been too frustrated to finish this for months now!)

Back in early 2012, we had some issues with Colton getting out of bed in the middle of the night and wanting to get up or into bed with us. We explained that he had to stay in his bed until the sun came up. He then decided that when he was ready to get up, HE made the sun come up so he could get up. It is adorable logic. He still makes us smile when he tells me when I go into his room or he comes into our's, "Look! I made it sunny!" Sometimes he adds, "God and I made it sunny," as we may have tried to explain that Colton isn't entirely that powerful. 

 My First Rodeo

Could he be having more fun on this pony ride?!

We took Colton to his first Bull Riding event at the end of April. He had a great time on the free bouncy slide and such. We stood him up on a barrel to watch the event and he kept saying, "They might come back," after the riders fell off the bull over and over. He danced along to the fun music playing, cracking up those around us. When we were putting him in his car seat to go home he said, "I had fun with you Mummy." Heart melting cute!! The next night Colton told Justin, "You are the best Poppa!"

Watching the bull riders. This was also his dancing platform.

Everyone loves a bouncy house.

Very serious watching!

Mother's Day Sweetness

On Mother's Day morning he came into our bedroom, climbed in the bed, hugged me and said, "You are the best Mummy in all of the land!"Without prompting, *gush gush* The "in all of the land" is the best part, much fancier than the best ever or the best in the world. :-)

Summer 

Summer has been super humid and hot. We are not fans but try to find fun inside or outside when we can.

Hide in the laundry...

...Then jump out!

Lots of sunscreen needed.

I love to wash the deck!

Who needs to put water IN the pool?

Watching Poppa mow AND I have a fly swatter, could this day get any better?!

Why little boys should NOT jump while wet in the bathtub (also known as "what almost was our first trip to the ER")

Sometimes directions like, stick out your lip, get lost in translation.

Someone has to clean up!

I big strong boy!

Colton was helping us move some boxes out to the barn the other day and he told me, "I help. I big strong boy!" Then I heard him saying that to himself as he carried an empty box for us. Too funny!

Valentine fundraiser picture for American Red Cross. This is the same hat Colton was able to FIT INSIDE when he was a newborn! And the shirt is totally ridiculous!

Such a cutie!


April already?! Geesh!

When we went for a walk last night (and I ended up carrying Colton most of the way back home), he hugged me and I said, "I love you!" Colton replied, "I love you too. I love you all the time!" Gush Gush!

With the yucky 'summer is already here' weather we are having currently, hard to believe in late February we were FREEZING hiking up Stone Mountain with wind gusts about to blow us and our picnic off the mountain! Colton looks like an Ewok in my sweater. I, however, look like a Conehead in my other sweater.

Hiking up to the top!

Colton LOVES to hike! (Promise I was right behind him and Justin was on the side!)

This hat is so awesome!

Ha Ha Ha! Stretching!

Another trip up. My boys and their backpacks!

Colton still loves his rain boots. We had a good time splashing in the mud and playing ball in the rain one day.

It was raining this morning and Colton told me, "You have to get the Banana." I was so confused. I thought he wanted a snack and I told him we don't have any bananas. He pointed by the door and said, "Right there." He was talking about the umbrella. :-) "I want to hold the banana!" Hee hee hee!

Cow milk
You might think that 'cow milk' would be referring to regular milk. Well, not at our house. A few months ago Colton had one of his first drinks of chocolate milk. We buy organic milk and happened to buy some Horizon Organic Chocolate milk and the Horizon mascot on all their products is a cow. SO, Colton started calling chocolate "Cow milk" as in, "I want Cow Milk please!" He knows he is asking for chocolate milk, but it is too funny to listen to him asking for cow milk, like we have other types of milk in the house from other animals and he doesn't want us to be confused.

Oh...Okay!
Colton is VERY inquizative, like most kids his age, and wants to know "how" for everything and wants to inspect everything he sees/finds/hears. It is cute to hear him respond to a line of questions you have just answered with, "Oh...Okay!" as if it now makes perfect sense to him! He also does NOT like it if you are not really listening to him or don't really know what he is talking about and you just say, "Okay," because he gets annoyed and says, "No, don't say Okay Mummy," like he feels you are just patronizing him. Too quick that child! And talk about good hearing, don't even think about saying, "stupid" because he will hear you if you whisper it or start to say it across the house and will come running. "We don't say stupid!" or "We don't say that!" Usually he seems to enjoy also saying the word when he is getting after you, so he can say it too. Smart boy!

Llama, llama
For a few weeks we ran into a really rough patch when taking Colton to daycare. When he previously was having separation issues, he still went to school and walked in fine, then freaked when we left. Recently he has started voicing at home that he doesn't want to go to school and wants you to stay home with him, crying in the car and freaking out when we leave. Heartbreaking. I had just started getting a couple of the "Llama Llama" books at the library and noticed that they had a "Llama Llama Misses Mama" book too. I have checked that out twice and it really worked wonders to help him when we left him at school. The first time we read it, however, Colton's face looked SO SAD when the llama mama left her little llama at school and the llama was crying. "He sad," Colton told me. But he got excited when he read that Mama Llama came back and we referred to that book when we took him to school and the teachers reminded him of it and he seemed to move out of the freak out after that. He started saying, "You came back!" when we picked him up and one day even said, "Thanks!" after I said that yes, I did come back. So sweet!

Colton is normally pretty good at school, but he is an alpha at school and gets into it with some of the others now and then. We have had a few days where he got reports sent home about misbehavior and we try to talk to him about being nice and such. On the way to school today, I asked Colton if he was going to be nice today and he said yes, "I be nice boy." Then a few minutes later he said, "I be nice boy today and make you happy." I told him, yes, it does make me happy when he is nice. I try to remember these dear sweet moments when he is frustrated at home and screaming/crying like a maniac.

Happy Birthday Brigette!
For my birthday, Justin planned a surprise weekend trip to Lake Hartwell. We had a great time!


My brother even came up from Florida as an extra surprise!


First time fishing!! Had more fun trying to play with the bait though!


Colton and I had our first jet ski ride together! Courtesy our our next door neighbors, who happened to also be at the lake that weekend! Please excuse my sumo-wrestler look, the life jacket was a bit too big for me. Colton had a good time!


Loving a ride from Uncle Eric, too bad Eric can't see where he is going now!


A big stick, bugs, and rocks to throw in the lake...what else could you ask for?


Nana L caught the only fish (2) of the trip. Colton was excited but didn't want to get too close.


Always on the lookout for bugs!

Bug jar and butterfly net ready for use!

Easter
Colton enjoyed hunting for Easter eggs, but was not too impressed that the Easter Bunny did not put treats in all of the eggs that were hidden. He would pick one up and say, "What's in there?" After he opened it and found nothing he would say, "That's silly!" and then throw it on the floor! I have learned that the Easter story is really hard to explain to a 2 year old, though we did our best with the help of a children's bible book.

Here is Colton "cheese-ing" for the camera.


Eating an actual treat inside an egg.


On a children's show yesterday the word they were repeating was "Unique." Colton repeated the word to my mother while they watched. Then my mother told Colton, "You're unique," to which he replied, "NO! I not a nique!" He did not understand why she almost cried with laughter.

This video is a couple months old but so funny and I haven't posted any videos in ages since my phone doesn't take them (what decade are we in?!) and my camera takes such high quality I have to alter to post, and who has the time?! Anyhow, this is titled, "What's in there?"

More to come!

2 and 1/2?!

Okay, I know it is February, but better late than never! We had a lovely Christmas and were all sick on and off and then busy since, thus the delayed posting. Too much to show and say and not enough time as usual!

Lordy Lordy Justin is 40! SURPRISE!


We had a surprise dinner party for him that he was totally oblivious too and his best friend Clark was able to come up for the week also, which was super!


Cute Camo Cousins!



Nana and Grandpoppa Y


Christmas Joy


This was the first year Colton was beginning to understand the holiday. I felt a little odd about the fact that I let him sit on a strangers lap (SANTA) when that stranger tried to bribe him with candy. :-) He saw Santa a few times and did pretty well. He liked to point out the picture of him and Santa in our kitchen an tell me that, "Santa Claus give me candy cane!" He LOVED helping decorate the Christmas tree and advised others not to touch the lights or the nativity on the table. "No touch!" We had a lot of clusters of ornaments near the bottom of the tree but that was fine because he had such a good time helping. He also did pretty good not touching the ornaments after they were on the tree, which was also great.


We all particpated in a local Christmas parade. Colton initially rode in the truck bed:


Then he wanted to walk and wave. He thinks everyone is there to see him as he waves like a pro!


Celebrating Christmas with the Y Family!
I didn't get a ton of pictures as it was kind of a madhouse with all the very active kids and all of them opening gifts at the same time. But they all had a good time so that is what was important!

Colton and his loot!



This picture is so fuzzy but you can see the excitement on his face which is so cute!




Playing in Nana Y's pantry


Charlotte gave me the funniest scowls every time I talked to her!




I couldn't get this picture to post the correct way, but was so cute of Katy Grace and Colton I had to leave it.


This is fun!!


Auntie Brigette gives good presents!



Dental Assistant Savannah demonstrates her dental playdough machine to the other cousins.


Glitter Nana Y


So cute!


We told the kids to go over to the tree for a group picture. The only one who listened was Colton and he just patiently stood there and waited and waited. :-)


Sweet Cousins!! (well, not everyone was happy about the pictures)


Much better!!


Loving on Uncle Ryan


Ha Ha Ha! Charlotte is not happy about me catching her pulling stuff out of Nana Y's drawers!


Awesome Moose Hat from Uncle Ryan and Auntie Celestia!


Christmas with the L Family!


Christmas Eve reading:


This is an audio Christmas book that Uncle Eric recorded. Colton still asks to read the Uncle Eric book:


Playing with the Christmas toys with Papa:



Using my new tools to 'fix' my bike:



Christmas baking of the Hooiser Goodies with Nana L and Mummy:



Opening presents was hard, snack time!


Who needs toys...?


Chilling with Uncle Eric


Using my new drill (apparently this bike has lots of issues)


This hat was intended for Colton, but I think he will be waiting a while to wear it. :-)


Colton loves to read!




During the holidays, we apparently took A LOT of pictures by Christmas trees. I figured this out after taking Colton to run by a store for one thing or another and he saw the store tree, ran over to it, backed up to it and said, "Take picture!!" There were two trees in the store so...


Colton's favorite present was his rain boots from Uncle Ryan and Auntie Celestia. He wore them every day for a week. Thankfully it was raining most of the time and worked out very well! He was in the car wearing them and told me, "I love my boots!"



Colton had tubes put in his ears in November and another surgery, but he was loving wearing his PJs waiting for his turn as we waited.


Imagination and fun

"Hear that?"


Colton calls spider webs 'spider string' which is just adorable. He also likes to pretend sometimes that there is a spider on him, near him, that is trying to 'get' us and sometimes he wants me to "Save me!" and other times he will 'get it' himself and say, "Got it!" Course that usually leads to "another one" or "spider again" and "got it again." I used a flashlight to look in his ears one night and then he had to check my ears and then told me, "There's a bug in there! I get it." He thought that was quite hilarious.

In addition to his imaginary dog that still is around (he proceeded to step OVER it at my mother's house one time; yes, it travels with him sometimes), he also likes to pretend there is a bear in the house. The bear, and/or sometimes a monster, is usually part of game of avoiding whatever we are doing or a fun, chase me around game. Watching him tiptoe down the hall to check if the bear is hiding in his room is pretty darn cute. He also sometimes finds imaginary kitty cats in the house, usually there are two, and he gently picks them up and carries them around fora few minutes.

Funny things Colton says about food, toys, shows, music: "I love it" "I like that one" "That's my favorite." We turn the TV music channels on some since we moved our stereo out of the living room and sometimes Colton and I will dance around as random exercise. It cracks me up that a song will start and Colton will say,"Not that song!" and wants me to change the channel for another song.

The side came down. In November we took the side off of Colton's crib. Mainly because he had recently been launching himself out of the crib to get out when we put him in for nap/bedtime and he cut his hand pretty good one night doing so. That led to 2 months or so of getiting in and out of the crib for at least 30 minutes or just refusing to take a nap. He'd be down for the night, then we'd settle into whatever we were doing and here comes Colton running across the house giggling hysterically and then 'hiding' in the kitchen. ITt was pretty tiring, but has mostly subsided since the novelty of getting out of the bed has worn off. Of course now in the morning he gets up, turns on hallway night light, then comes in our bedroom. This is fine if it is almost time for us to get up, not so much if it is 2 am or 4 am and he thinks it is moring for some reason and cries as we take him back to bed. We still get up with him a few times almost every night, though usually it is because he wants to be covered up or has smashed up against the side. We are often very tired in the morning.

We have also experienced several 'terrrible twos' tantrums in the past couple months. Screaming and crying, almost wearing himself out, for what reason, who knows? Not always clear what set it off, though usually he is overly tired. Can last 20 minutes or so but thankfully haven't happened too often.

Daily says things, statements, sentances that crack us up!
Interesting things Colton says: "Try again later" usually related to going to the bathroom, "Do another day" about anything we can't do right now, or something we just can't do (like touch the ceiling). Sometimes Colton will tell us, "I need something" or "I have to get something" and goes in the other room and may or may not come back with 'something.' Usually he adds, "be right back." When you ask Colton a question that he doesn't know the answer to or isn't sure (or doesn't really care) he will sometimes say "something" or "Nothing." What color is this Colton? "That's nothing."

We love to count anything and everything!

Colton gives good hugs and kisses and likes to make sure Justin and I give each other kisses/hugs when one of us is leaving and he really likes if we do a group hug. He thinks that is big fun, and so do we!