3 Years Old

Our computer was crashed when he turned 3 but I couldn't let something so important go without being noticed!!

CARTER,

Who knew on the day you were born on that exciting Monday near Xin Tian Di that I could love you waaaay more 3 years later?  Some days you are so big to me and some days you are still so little.

The other day you were following a group of 7-8 year olds around the playground saying "I'm a big boy."  They were laughing and trying to get away from you.  And I couldn't stop laughing to myself.  You want to be big so bad and I want you to slow down because you are getting there fast enough.

You are very funny these days!  And constantly shocking us with the random things you say.

Like when we saw Daddy's work bag by the door I thought he was already home from his trip to Ft. McMurray. You said "No mom.  I think he had to bring a suitcase to Ft. McMurray and didn't need his work bag."  I'm sure if I reread this in a few years that message will see insignificant.  But Daddy and I were blown away at all of the missing pieces you put together in your mind to come up with such a conclusion.  And it turns out that you were right!  Smarty pants!

Another fun one was..

"When I'm a daddy and a pizza man, I'm going to know how to make all the food and the drinks!"  

You like to talk about the things you will do when you are big, like Daddy.

You are so social right now!  You LOVE your friends.  Your best friends are Lucas, Heath, Yianni, Charlie, Harry, Milli, Alex, Elladee and Evan. 

You have gotten pretty good at sharing and taking turns.

You give the best kisses!  But like to "wipe them off!"  STINKER!

You LOVE "chocolate eggs."  

(The Kinder Surprise with a little toy inside.)

You still love to play Diggers and Dumpers

 both outside and in your sensory table.  And you climb and jump off the highest points on the playground that other parents are so worried.  I'm used to it but know broken bones are in our future.

You like to watch Bob the Builder or Elmo 

while Mommy is putting Corbin down for a nap.  You loudly (and proudly) sing all the words to Bob's opening song (wrong words and off beat)!  We love it!

The men in your life are heros in your eyes.

As they should be.

You know that you live in "Canda" but were born in "China" and that your whole family and family friends live in "Texas."  BUT you seem to have lots of crazy (made up) memories from "Thaiwand."

Every airplane is flying to Texas to see Nana & Ba or Grammy & Papa.

Your imaginations is on fire at the moment!  Everything can say "HI mom!"  in a silly voice (so I know it's not you talking).  Things like, forks, shoes, your hands, feet, hairbrushes...etc.

We can get you to do almost anything if we make up a pretend game or story around it.

Gee Dots Gee (Blue dots blanket) and Brown Dots Gee (Brown dots blanket) are officially your lovies.  You drag them down the stairs with you every morning and we have to search the entire house for them before you are back to bed.  You even say cute things like "I wuv you Gee Dots Gee.  You are the coziest gee in the whole wide world."  (Before you could say "blanket" you used the word Gee...it's stuck for these two special blankets.)  Sometime these two Gees talk too.

You still make my tummy have butterflies when I reflect on our day...everyday.  I love you more than I ever thought possible.  Thank you for the best 3 years of my life!

I love you Carter Bear!

Life in Pictures!

Life at home with my two boys can be lots of things:

Hard work?  At times.

Crazy?  Yes.

Awesome?  All the time!

Here are some recent random photos.

Come on! Really doesn't get better than this.

Yay!!  We're all at the table!  

Dream come true.  This picture makes me so giddy,  I'm pathetic.

Corbello.

Carter-Bear.

Kate lovin.

P.S.  Her parents are named Sarah and Johnny.  True story.

He was obsessed with Hot Cross Buns for a whole day.

So we HAD to make this box.

And some buns...that were more like scones.

Of course they ended up with candles in them and we had to sing 

"Happy Birthday."

Love love!!!

Sleeping in his own room!

(Much easer after 1st scary night.)

My little skier!!

Life is Good!!!

ARD for At-Risk Sleeper.

All involved, thank you for gathering together to discuss the area in which Corbin McCoy is in need of assistance.  I think you all know which area is this.  Night-time sleep.  He currently is performing at a level at-risk of failing.  However, I do believe with a little extra help we can get him to a level acceptable for promotion to the next grade.  Mom, would you mind telling us a little bit about the latest progress going on at home?

...

Sleep isn't something that happens that well around here lately.  Everyday I'm taught again and again that my boys are different people.

With Carter I just did what my sleep book said to do and it worked.  So I did it religiously.  It's easier for me to enjoy the days when I've had rest.

With Corbin, well, I think it's a combo of a busy lifestyle and that he's a different child, but he really needs mama time at night.  We've had a few random CIO sessions lately just because I've been at my wit's end.  But I don't really see them helping.

He would be a co-sleeper for life I we could....I learned this last night.

I had this idea that he might sleep better in his own room.  He's almost 8  months.  We've been putting it off because some nights it's still like 5 feeding.  That will really wake you up going to another room.  But I thought maybe our tossing and turning were waking him and reminding him he can have milk.  Who knows, right?

So we made the move.  Ugh.  It was sad.  I'm not kidding.  I'm so bad with transitions (for my children)  hence the reason I just nursed Carter for 21 months.  I hate phasing them into things...I'd rather them do it them selves.  But Corbin wasn't moving into his room on his own any time soon.

So it happened.

With Carter this was the first night he slept through the night.  With Corbin this was the first night I learned he really just wants to be near me at night.  (So different, see???)  Ugh.  So sad.

But I also learned that in addition to holding and bouncing him he will lay so still for a back rub!! Total VanSickle move!!!  My mom rubbed our backs until we moved out.  No lie. The second I put my hand on his back he calms down and lays so still.  It's the sweetest thing.  I loved hearing his sweet breath calm down.  Gosh I love him!!!  So I'd calm him down then sneak off and sit in the chair and wait a while.  He'd get pretty upset.  Then I'd rub his back again.  Around 12:30 I went to bed to wait it out 15 minutes.

Then back to his room and one last back rub.  I was prepared to do this as long as necessary.  Then I don't know who fell asleep first....but we woke at 5 for a feeding.

I know many people don't believe in feeding them at night this long.  We have bigger issues to work on at the moment.  And from my own research, I really don't disagree with feeding them at night for longterm breastfeeders.

So needless to say, it was a traumatic night for Corbin and Mommy.  Let's hope we're on the uphill.

Side note:  While most would classify him as At-Risk (of failing his degree of babyhood), I'd disagree.  He's got straight A's in every other area.  He just needs extra support in the area of Sleep.  ;)

And when you smell delicious, feel delicious and look....

delicious, you are worth anything!  Love you Corbin-pye.  Yes, that is what we call him.  He looks like Pop-pye!!  Ha ha!

......

Thank you for that information.  Just so you are aware, while he IS performing wonderfully in all other areas, the general population will grade him on this subject alone.  So while he most likely will move on successfully to the next level he will still be classified as a "bad baby" or "failing" to the rest of the world.

Womp. Womp.  

Spring Time Schedule

Snow is melting and temperatures have been in the 40-50's!  It's amazing!

We've been super busy these days with bootcamp/playgroup MWF, preschool T TH, Little Athletes Class M, ski lessons Sat, church Sun.  By "we" in that previous sentence I mostly mean Carter. In order to get out of the house and socialize here you kind of have to have a serious schedule.  We're getting closer to just being able to head to playgrounds, bike rides though and have lots of unstructured play outside.  Yay!

Fitness with Kids:  Bootcamp/playgroup.  This is my therapy.  It's one hard hour of working out while the kids play with a babysitter on the volleyball court next to us.  I love it and have made some friends here.  Carter loves it, he literally says "YAY!"  When I tell him we are going to exercise today.

Preschool:  I like his school here.  But man, having a mom who is the director of an AMAZING preschool, makes your standards pretty high.  I am a bit snobby in my head about the preschools here.  I just have to remind myself that he's building relationships and playing in a hands on learning environment.  His teacher is great!  I just am not a fan of the "crafts" they do.  Even using the word "craft" is not really supposed to be used in my mind.  See??  Snobby.  Also, I feel there should always be a tiny circle time where lesson is directly focused with a story and little discussion.  BUT really, that is from me teaching older grades and the fact that if they don't get around to it because the kids are totally engaged in centers is really appropriate.  So basically, I'm learning to let go, because he loves it.

Little Athletes:  This is a class we attend with a few of the neighbors including my former OB.  Yes, did I mention we are friends?  Kind of crazy, right? And now she is on maternity leave!  Yay!  The kids play a different sport each week.  Carter LOVES it!  There are a few games thrown in keep up with their attention span.  So the teacher will randomly play duck duck goose, or tag, etc.  Carter usually plays two rounds and then asks "Can we play (hockey, basketball, soccer) now??"

Ski Lessons:  Carter has been the youngest in his group by far.  A year at this age is a big difference!  We attempted lessons in January.  But it was so cold and there was no sun.  Poor guy was SO overwhelmed and miserable. So we decided to call it quits and wait for the next round.  He finished up this past Saturday!  It was awesome!  He loves it!  The final day they went up a normal bunny slope.  Previous to this it was smaller practice runs.  He totally got stage fright.  First of all, at this point there was one instructor assigned specifically to him.  And he was supposed to be snowplowing side to side. He had never done side to side before...and he wasn't going to do it now.  He and the instructor stood at a stand still for 20 minutes halfway down the hill.  In the car on the way home I asked him which was his favorite hill.  He said the little one.  Ha!  I could tell.  We're going again this weekend!  I think this may be the last ski of the season.

Sorry my blog posts haven't been very consistent or good lately.  I barely get moments to do anything productive around here.  So here is my attempt to jot down things I don't want to forget!

Corbin is 7 Months

I forgot how much fun this age is!!

They seem to come alive around 6 or 7 months, it's just so much fun!

Corbin is really such a happy happy boy!  He's very enthusiastic about food.  He is eager to crawl.  He is currently rolling everywhere he needs to be and pushes waaay up or does a plank...all in prep for crawling I'm sure.  Corbin LOVES to jump in his exersaucer (total waste of money for Carter, by the way).  He can jump like a maniac!! 

I love his smile!  He has twinkly eyes that seem mischievous to me.  I love his laugh and even his new protesting-sleep-cry, it sounds like a baby doll!  He is so "into" all that is happening in our home that he protests sleep by pushing me or trying to sit up as I hold him to rock him.  Ahhhh, rocking him.  I think rocking him (like rocking Carter) is just the best feeling in the world.  He fits perfectly in my arms now.  Such a good size.  He's cozy there and I can stare at his calm sweet face.  These moments wont last. Gosh I love it!!

Here are a few pictures that capture his personality!

LOVE this smile!

Very long, narrow feet.  Right?  I mean strangely long and narrow!!

Baby Plank!  Work it boy!!

Isn't this a yoga move??  (I hate yoga.)

Hi.  

(He's modeling his jacket.)

Upside down pacifier.  The VanSickle in him.

Yes, those types of things are oblivious to me.  Inside out socks?  Matching socks? Carrot for an earring back (Grammy)? Pacifier upside down?  Not a big deal.

Face.

Modeling again.

LOVE this outfit.

If we have a third, this will be passed down. Love it!

See ya!!

Bob & Larry (And other Carter-isms)

Bob and Larry are a part of our daily routine.  Don't know Bob and Larry?

How can you not know Bob and Larry???

Kidding.

Bob and Larry, as in the hosts of Veggie Tales, are Carter's favorite characters of all time.  He got 3 new CD's for Christmas and you'd have thought he opened chocolate (if you are me...that is exciting).

We listen to them all.the.time.  If Carter is in the car, Bob and Larry are on.  2 reasons:

1. When Bob and Larry are on he's listening to age appropriate, good, quality music.  With a nice healthy message or story.

2. When Bob and Larry are on he is so focused on them Mommy and Daddy can talk.  It's true!  A real conversation without interruptions!

Which is more important??  Totally depends on the day.  :)

Carter really focuses on the words of the songs.  He has started singing along, which is totally cute, by the way.  And he asks tons of questions about the songs.

Like:

What is "holy", "mighty", "righteous", "blessings", "sin"?  "What's this song about?" Not going to lie...some of these questions are hard for me to give him a decent explanation.

But I love it!

There have also been a few connections made from the songs to real life.

1. When Corbin is sick (always)..."Maybe we can ask God to take Corbin's sick away, like that girl in the Bible."

WOW!

2. "You are mean to me MOM!!!  Is that a sin???"
Me: What a sin?
"If I say "YOU ARE MEAN TO ME!!""
Me: Do you think it makes God sad??
"Yes."
Me: So what do you think?
"I think it is."

3. Me:  Carter hold your fork down please.  It could hurt your eye.
"Like the man on the street who couldn't see??"
Me: Huh??
"In the Bible and Jesus fixed his eyes."

4. While reading his children's Bible, he has noticed some of the stories have a song to go with them!

5. OH and this one just happened before dinner...He tripped on a toy and started to cry.  I asked him what was wrong.  He said "I stumbled in the light (Whaa!) I stumbled in the light.  It's not dark and I fell."  Ha ha!!

Any who, I thought I better write these down.  Man, I love watching these kids grow!!

We're baaaack!

Well, we're back. 

Our hard drive crashed and so did the thousands of pictures we've collected as a family.  :(  Needless to say, we're starting over.  Honestly, it makes me sick in my stomach to think about it.  But this is just an example of why blogging is so important and OBVIOUSLY some system to "back that thing up."

While we've been away, I've been taking pictures, just have to take time to get them on the blog now.  I thought we'd start off with some photos of Corbin's 6 month birthday and Carter's 3rd year!

I'll be back with more stories and pictures....but you know me and my overwhelmingness about blogging, I had to get the ball rolling.

I tried to be all pinteresty cute.

But I don't even know how to tie a tie.

Carter's Party!  

It was awesome...

1. At a rec center!

2. They ran and played.

3. Someone else cleaned!

Cheeeeese!  Look at that smile!

Take 2!

And another good smile!

Love how he eats cake!

Look at his face.

Look again!  Hahaha!!