Swim Lessons-TXPhotoDump

School and swim lessons started in just enough time to be cancelled for "wintery weather."  HA!  I'm dying over here!  Too funny!

What a blast yesterday!  Carter had so much fun at Grammy's School, as he calls it.  My expectations have been set waaaay too high.  It was always my dream growing up that my children would go to her school, so I guess in a way, "my dream has came true." (As Carter would put it.)

Swim Lessons were AWESOME!  I arrived early, anticipating a freak out because the pool isn't a hot tub and is chilly.  So he and I played in there, in that cold water.  I just kept lying saying "this feels awesome!"  and "man this is so much fun!!"  Ha!  The plan worked because freak out happened, he was over it and then class started!  He had a ball!  So many fun games and he was so joyful!  Just as happy as can be trying to be silly for his new friends and kicking those little, white, legs non-stop.

He has in his head that he doesn't know how to swim.  I honestly think the few times he's seen his cousins L&H swim on their own has really impacted him.  He says "I can't swim."  We tell him things like: What do you think you are doing with us on vacation!?  The more we swim the better you'll get on your own!  It takes practice!  We don't live in a swimmy place, we just need to swim more!

But he pretty self-aware in this area.  It's interesting.

So after being AWESOME in this class (with the noodle) they were done with Night 1.  He got out of that pool so proud of himself saying "I think I can swim without the noodle!!!!  I want to try it!! I think I can do it!"  Let me clarify that the class had not gone that far, he was just feeling good.  So to the hot tub we went, because momma was freezing.  He attempted the usual push-off to mom and did great!  But was just like always.  A little sink-age toward the end.  He came up with a quivered lip and tears forming.  "I can't swim."  :(  Poor buddy, it's just the beginning, you'll get there.  I promise.

Without further ado:

He was chasing the blue ball!

He kept going out on his own. Crazy boy!

Supposed to be a pic of how far they were going!  Kick, kick, kick.

Listen closely, the man tells me I can't take pictures.

One more to prove I'm a rebel.

Love you Dad!!!!!

Texas Photo Log

Well, I'm sure you could tell my intentions for Carter's birthday blogs didn't happen.  They may just pop up while I'm here in Texas!

Blogging is just impossible these days!

Once both boys are down for naps, I can usually change into workout clothes.  Then I hear Carter going potty.  Once that is taken care of, I have to get him back down to sleep.  I do my 25 minute workout! (Thanks T25!)  Then I'm down to 25 minutes and I usually have to do something else or veg for a bit!  I need to be better at blogging.

I'm in Texas for a VERY extended time, to escape the long, dark, stuck-inside winters of Canada.  I'm so excited that Carter starts preschool at my mom's school AND swim lessons tomorrow!  We've only been here a few days but we've been soaking up being outside every chance we can!

I have realized I can't post to FB or Instagram, or even text pictures while out of the country!!  SOooo, I'm going to try and DUMP photos on here as often as possible.  (no editing tools either!)  I'm sure there won't be much typing, but lots of pictures.  Mostly for Daddy!

WE miss him SO much.

And so it begins...

Only in Texas.  No words.

Lots of riding bikes!

Nature walks!

Longest bike ride yet!  All the way to Grammy's school and back!  

I'm hoping for many more while we're here!!!  I want to do this at least one way, each day he has school!

Poor Corbin, he had a pack of gum in his hands.  I had to take it away.  So sad.  I felt bad, before that he was totally loving the fire truck!

Digging at the Children's Museum!

SO fun!

This moving is amazing.  Will blow your mind.  NOT.  Enjoy Daddy!

Bagel shop! Dining al fresco!  Gotta love those Texas winters!

Cream cheese face and Tired Mommy!  No rest for the single parent!  Ha!

Okay, I hope to do this OFTEN and I'll have to get better at taking pictures without editing them!

WE love and miss you Daddy!  Can't wait to see you!!!

4 to 4.

Dear Carter,

You are 4 days away from turning 4 Years Old.  I can't even believe it.  Four seems so big to me.  Then again, every milestone you've hit has made you seem bigger, while every milestone Corbin hits he still seem so little.  I have to remind myself often that you are little.  "Let him be little."

You are an energetic, smart, loving, thoughtful little boy.  You are a toot, no doubt, but above that, the others I listed, of course.  You are in love with trains, and all that goes with trains; building tracks, playing stories with your train characters.  You could spend hours (by hours I mean minutes) building with legos, magna-tiles, reading books, playing dinosaurs, playing games of chase or tag around our house.

I'm fascinated at what your four-year-young mind comes up with.  There is a song on the radio that sings "that girl is so dangerous, that girl is so dangerous.." and you hear every.single.word. that plays.  Of course, you asked why that girl is so dangerous.  Daddy and I replied we weren't sure and asked what you thought.  "I think that girl is so dangerous because she touched the plug (outlet) in the wall."  Right on, little man, that girl is obviously dangerous.  Also, The Big Yellow Monkey from 2, yes t.w.o. years ago (that's half of your life!!) still visits in dreams or fantasy.  Just yesterday you brought him up out of the blue.  While riding in the car you said that "The Big Yellow Monkey is in Heaven because he hasn't been made yet."  I was definitely taken back by that statement for several reasons.  Really THREE specific parts of that sentence.  What a brain!!!  So I asked who will make The Big Yellow Monkey, "God."  DUH!!!

Four little years ago, in Shanghai, I was days beyond my due date.  Grammy had arrived for your birth and we were set to visit the doctor every other day at that point.

When you are not having babies in China, you are shopping.  Since you had not arrived, Grammy and I were shopping!  We had already traveled so far to the tactile markets to have chair covers made, the fabric market for a cashmere coat and of course, the jewelry market for...jewelry.  All of this within a few days.  Poor Mr. Gu, our driver, was no doubt annoyed with having to drop Daddy off way on the other side of Shanghai, then to drive all the way back to pick us up, then all the way back to the markets, and again for drop offs.

I love you to the Moon and Back!
(then you say "I love you to Heaven and back!"  then I say "I love you to Heaven and back and to the moon, then down to Texas over to Shanghai, to the North Pole back to the moon and then to Canada!!")

Love,
Mom

"GO GO!"

I'm so behind blogging that it makes me sad.  This is a little diary for friends and family to read but more importantly it's for my children.  And I've been slacking at it.  I need to just start right here.  So, in the most commonly used words of Corbin:  "Go go!"

Carter is going to be 4 Years Old in two months.  Say it ain't so.  Four always seemed old to me.  I know that is silly, it's JUST 4.  But seems so old to me.  I can't believe my baby is turning 4.  I may have a melt down.  Just beware.

Corbin has been WALKING and "talking" like crazy.  He's the funniest, sweetest little guy!!


I want to freeze time.  They are such a blast I'm loving every moment with them!

Here are some funny recent tidbits:

1. They both are in love with their blankets.  Like true love.  Carter brings both of this "gee's" (that is STILL what he calls them) down every morning.  And Corbin points and grunts at his, knoding his head up and down, while making direct eye contact, until I grab it from his crib to also bring down stairs.  They both require a bit of cuddle time before totally awake.  Maybe blanket time is like coffee time?

2. Both boys LOVE Carter's school.  Corbin cries every time we leave without a play.  So sad.  I have to wrestle him back into his carseat.  It's the saddest ever.  He just points to the door, with curled lip saying "go go!"

3. Carter has been going to Sport Ball on Thursday mornings.  It is the BEST program ever!!  He was really nervous the first day.   My instincts were to say "Get out there!  Don't be rediculous!"  But I fought them and stayed with him, even joined in with the class a bit.  This was waaay back in Septemeber!  He's been loving it ever since!  They play, run and learn every sport at their level!  These coaches are amazing and are fabulous teachers.  I loved when Carter came home explaining how to throw a football by sending the rocket to the moon....and you have to cover up the windows (laces) so he doesn't get scared.  Golf was, "hit the oranges away with your elephant trunk!"  So cute!

4. Corbin goes to a playgroup while Carter is at Sportball.  It's an hour of centers, snack and then a little circle time.  He LOVES it!  He plays so hard. When they ring a little bell the first time it's snack time.  He finds a chair and climbs in ready for his snack.  So sweet.  The second bell sends him straight to circle time!!  He waddles into the next room and plops onto the floor.  He KNOWS the routine!  Crazy.

5. Carter has a crazy knack for memorization.  Last night he recited the entire Night Before Christmas and book OGOPOGO.  I'm so shocked!?  This might be normal, I'm not sure.  But it was crazy.

6. He's also obsessed with asking how words are spelled and stringing random letters and asking what it spells.  Ha!

7. Corbin has pooped in the bath tub about 8 times.

8. Corbin is still a picky eater BUT eats some super healthy foods.  The list may be short, but it's good.  Veggie shake (not sweet at all), chia seeds and yogurt, almond milk with turmeric in it?!  Crazy child.

9. Corbin loves his animal books and I often find him "reading" them to himself.  "Arf, arf! waddle, waddle (penguin). ROAR! Meow! etc." SO sweet!!

10.  They have had so many more moments of interaction lately!  The other day they were facing each other and both yelling the same noise, bouncing all crazy in the wagon.  Then they'd crack up.  It would get quite then one would start it up again!  Back to the blanket-loving again, in the mornings while I'm making breakfast, they will often both lay on the floor with their blankets looking at each other and start kicking the floor, once they both get going they will crack up!

11. To follow up with 10. They also will bicker a ton.  There are tug-of-war matches combines with yelling/screaming.  I often intervene.  But occasionally don't have it in me and just sit back and see how it unfolds.

12.  We saw a movie last night!  The whole family.  It's so fun to watch Carter watch a movie!!  The excitement is explosive!  Corbin enjoyed the previews with a dog in it and the crackers I brought for him then, really loudly "GO go!!" while pointing.  Off we went!  Walking around the theater.  Back in to the movie room.  "Go go!!" Back out we go.  Back in we "Go go!"  Such leadership skills that boy has. ;)  "GO GO!!"  He is so fun!!!

Okay, hopefully this is a start to get back to blogging!  Feels good to get some of these thoughts in writing!

Corbin's 1 Year Post

How have we gone from this...

to this:

TIME HAS FLOWN.

(I say, as I'm typing this almost 2 months later.)

Corbin actually turned ONE in Texas!

So we celebrated at the/a lake after Uncle Scott and Aunt Amy's wedding!

Cake!

Opening presents with his boy cousins!

And we celebrated with Nana and Ba at their new FARM!!

Face Down!

Ummm!!!

And we celebrated here in Canada!!

And Last, but not least, here are the OFFICIAL 1 Year Old Photos:

Oops, wrong baby!! ;)

What a year it's been!!!

What an amazing blessing this little man is to our family!  

This spunky guy surprises us daily!!  His willingness to communicate is CRAZY!!!  (I'm writing this at almost 14 months.)  

He says: 

"go go" when he wants you to get moving!!

"mama" 

"dada"

"caga" Carter

"baba" baby

shakes head "yes"

shakes head "no"

gives kisses

gives hugs

gives hi fives

makes fish sounds

makes food sound (same as fish) (popping lips)

grabs your face to communicate

points

He will use every ounce of his being to communicate something to you.  A clap with a scream and a point perhaps?  Or a grunt, grab your face and point??  He will figure out a way to get his point across.

When he's upset he will let you know and he's NOT faking it, he's feeling it, with real tears.  The boy is sensitive.

Milestones:

First words, see above!

Walking!  He's been taking steps for about a month now!!  But prefers to crawl!

Eating:

Everything or Nothing.  His decision.  Man, picky eater!

Loves (today) guacamole, crackers, yogurt with chia seeds (gotta get that protein in there somehow).  HATES meat.

Still NURSING.

Sleeping:

1 nap!!  WOO hoo!!  Life is so much more simple!

Wakes 1-2x to nurse.  (Judge away!)

He HAS slept through the night 2 times.

Goes to bed SO easily now!  Nurse, cuddle, see ya later!  All that hard work has paid off!!  Praise.the.Lord!

I have to say, the old saying "don't decide the size of your family off of that 1st year of life, but rather on the size of family you want around your dining room table" really resonates in my head.  It was a tough but AWESOME, adorable, cuddly, FUN, loving year.  Time for another!  (just want to see if John reads this. ;)  

Corbin I love you more than you can imagine!  I've LOVED getting to know you this year! You've exceeded all of our expectations and I couldn't have imagined a better addition to our family!  You are such a gift from God and I'm so glad you are mine!!  I LOVE you so much my little bug!!!!

Happy 1 YEAR OLD!!