Emergency Room... or Kitchen?

Sam brought a wailing Ked in from outside just before bedtime.  Apparently, after Sam had just told him not to, Ked threw a big rock up in the air. . . and then proceeded to duck under it.  The subsequent split in his head probably could have used one stitch, maybe two, but after assessing the situation and consulting with the man who stitched me and all my siblings up multiple times on the kitchen table (my dad), we opted for the easier, cheaper, and more time-efficient route--peroxide and super glue.  Hope Ked doesn't come to regret our decision (or our handy work)!

Ked watching a video at the end of the procedure.  The wound is hidden by his hair.

(I put the rock there just for the picture to show the size.)

Ked being silly while he displays the imfamous rock.

Tyn turns 1

I tried to let Tyn do some of his favorite things on his birthday--like play with the hose.  He has moved up from the 1st to the 3rd percentile in weight.  We've worked hard for the roundness of that little belly!  It's still a lot of work and patience to get him fed, but we are slowly seeing improvement.

Love the snaggle tooth.  Still working on getting a better picture of it.

In true Tyndale style, he only ate a few bites of his cupcake and smashed the rest.  

For days after, Ked begged me for "cupcake on my fire."

Can't get enough of our little snuggler!

Cars, Trains, and Bikes

Some friends just gave us this little car.  This picture doesn't do it justice, but the boys were sooo cute riding in it together.

Ked and Sam decided to make it a train. Ked did a great job pulling Tyn around. 

 Tyn loved it!  I love his smile in this shot.  (You have to zoom in to really appreciate it.)

Following in the footsteps of his brother, Tyn has become a trick rider at a young age.  

(Tyn almost 12 months, Ked almost 3 years)

Motherhood Badge of Honor

I once heard an acquaintance describe her motherhood badge of honor.  After comforting her crying child, she was left with the remnants of a runny nose on her shirt.  While she at first went to change the shirt, she ended up leaving it on, and felt that it was her badge of motherhood.  "I comforted my child today," it proclaimed.

Tyndale is a cuddler, which I LOVE, but it also means my shirts are frequently covered in marks of drool and slime.  And baby food, since I often feed him while holding him.


The terrain was hilly where we went camping recently, and beginning-walker Tyndale took a lot of falls.  After a particularly bad down-hill face plant, I quickly scooped him up and held him as he cried with his face in my shoulder.  I ignored his fists full of dirt and plant material and the wet debris all over his little body and just held him tight.  It took me a moment to realize that he had a bloody lip, but I didn't realize until much later in the day how much he had bled on my shoulder.  Call it my motherhood badge of honor.  I got to comfort my child.  (If you could see well, you'd also notice the remnants of his breakfast on my shoulder.)

Camp Out

We had our annual church congregation camp out, so we bought a new, bigger tent.  

(I LOVE being able to stand up in it!)

 Tyn was really excited about setting the tent up in our family room, just to check it out.

 Ked was just as excited about the box it came in.

 Tyndale loved walking around, exploring and eating lots of dirt.  I'm always amazed at the flexibility of his knees.

 Ked loved manning the fire, playing with sticks, eating marshmallows, and getting really dirty.  

It's a little scary having him so independent now, and wandering off.  I lost him a few times, one of those times just to find him back in our tent, taking care of himself.

 Tyn thought it was great fun that we were all sleeping together.  He lasted until 3am in his pack-n-play, and then decided we should party the rest of the night.  Ked agreed.  As tired (and frustrated) as I was, it was still tender when they snuggled up to me, even if it rarely lasted long.  Unfortunately we also woke up some of our neighboring campers.

Little Friends

Old photo of Ked, Tyn, and some of their friends at the park. 

This was almost a bad parenting moment.  At some moment during my photo shoot, Tyn suddenly leaned a little too far forward. . . I just barely caught his head in time!

My BABY has become a TODDLER

It's official.  Tyndale is now walking full time.  

TA DA!

I love how his chest is puffed out with pride in this photo.  Really he is just about to throw the ball.  He loves to throw and chase this ball around the house.  (Thanks, Katie!)

 Tyn took his first steps around 10 months, but didn't really get solidly into walking until after 11 months.  He especially likes to carry things around the house. 

And he continues to put everything into his mouth.  A sock is yucky, but it's a lot less dangerous than some of the other objects he holds in his mouth while walking!

Despite his energy, he is absolutely refusing any food from a spoon, and most other foods require GREAT persuasion.  I spend most of my day preparing new various foods and just trying to get him to eat, especially when it's obvious he's hungry.  Then he's so much happier when something is finally in him!  The flat, empty belly when he's already in the 1st percentile for weight is worrying me!

Boston

A few days ago, I was explaining again to Ked that Sam was in Boston.  

“Moson,” Ked said.  

“Boston,” I replied.  

“Moson.”  

“Ba-ston.”  

“Moson.”  

“Ba-STon.”  

Finally, Ked decided to help me get it right.  

“No, Monson and Uchtdorf!"

Walkin' Tyn

Tyn's first steps were at 10 months, 2 weeks, but I think he has too many push toys that he'd rather use.  But here he is practicing some of his moves.  11 months, 1 week

Pete's Dragon Dance

You have to be familiar with this part of the movie to really appreciate this.  He's still working on the heel-kicking part.  I love this boy.  

Ked, 34 months

The Calm After the Storm

We took a quick road trip to Kentucky.  Last time to see my sister before she moves!  :(  Now no one in my family will be less than a 16 hour drive away.  Ked has been begging go back to visit cousin Dane, but I think he still likes his toys more than anything.  

Evening chat on the porch.  Brandi and tired Dane.

Grateful we were able to make it to the temple!  It's getting trickier with multiple kids and the distance.  Many thanks to Brandi and family for providing us a great place to stay and watching the kids for us.

Four years of marital bliss!  And I still can't take a good picture.  I was tempted to cut myself out of this one, but that would kind of defeat the point of a picture in front of the temple, no?

The Tyn-man has discovered the Dora car.  He prefers to ride it backwards.  Unfortunately, he has also learned it can be used as a stool, so sometimes I hide it from him.  Too many near disasters and at least one unfortunate incident.

Some days he's more excited than others that he can do a little walking.  I think he has too many push toys to play with instead. Three cheers for him now eating like a champ!  Just starting this last week.  I now have high hopes he'll rise above the first percentile in weight!  11 months

Just as we were packing up to head home, we got multiple phone calls from friends from church asking if we had power and if we needed a place to cool off or cook food, etc.  Turns out we missed the most exciting natural event of the year!  A derecho--super strong, hot wind storm.  Without rain.  Knocked down tons of trees.  Of course, it wouldn't have been so exciting if we were like many of our friends who were without power (and AC in the humid heat and without water for many who use pumped well water) from 5 hours or so to a day or a few days or a week.  And at least one of my friends still doesn't have power or running water nine days later.  Because of our location, we probably only had our power flicker a little.  

Sunday night there was a fierce thunderstorm in the middle of the night.  I normally love them (we don't have a lot of big trees right next to our home), but this one seemed a little more intense, and it surprised me that I actually felt slightly frightened.  Taking the boys out the next day, I was amazed at all the tree litter scattered across the big grassy area behind our home.  Nothing really big, but lots of little brown branches from the Friday storm, and green branches from the Sunday night storm.  

On the 4th at the park down our street.  One of many downed trees.  

My ingenious husband figured out how to allow Ked to enjoy fireworks!  He loved them, as long as these things were on!

We just watched them from home, as Tyn was asleep, and we live pretty close to where they are set off.

Fun with Papi

Tyn loved our friends' tree swing with his Papa.

Grocery shopping is way more fun when Papi comes!

Tyn 11 months, Ked 34 months

Snakes, Teenage Girls, and Two of my Cuties

(copied from BBW blog)

I was recently asked to head the program for young women (teenagers) in our church. I've been both very intimidated and totally thrilled.  It's a big responsibility and time commitment, but I am totally loving it, and Sam is very supportive, which is crucial.  So neat to be able to have a part in the growth of the girls' faith in Jesus Christ and determination to follow Him.  Of course, it's a big growing experience for me too.  And humbling!

This last week was a week-long outdoor camp for the girls.  I could only go a day (because of nursing), but it was a neat experience.  I thought this snake was a strip of tire while I walked alongside it a few feet away.  I've always liked snakes (my mom's a great snake catcher), but here I don't know a poisonous one from a non-poisonous one, so they are all a little more scary to me.  

And thus we see why I wash all the big utensils right before they are used.  This is Tyn's favorite playground.  

 

Tyn (10 1/2 months) has taken a few steps here and there, but still has a ways to go before really walking, I think.  But he is a little mountain goat climber, and we have found him in some precarious situations, which is scary!

Ked has decided that sometimes he likes the hardwood floor more than his bed.

Makeshift Slide

I came in from the kitchen to find this scene. Loved it. The moments I live for. Creative new entertainment for Ked (courtesy of Sam); my beloved strumming and crooning a spontaneously fashioned song; and happy, active boys. Oh, and a tolerant baby brother. Ked now often requests the slide, and if Sam's around, he demands he play the guitar and sing.

I didn't notice until watching the video that in the beginning, Ked is pulling Tyn off the table and pushing him underneath it and saying, "Go down the bridge, Tyndale."

(If you think we are rough on our furniture, well it's true, but the couch was already broken when we inherited it, and the table was $10 at a yard sale.)

My Extra Set of Arms

The day has finally arrived. I have sprouted the extra set of hands that I've wanted ever since I had my first child.

Being a parent of only young kids, I'm not sure what's typical or not. So maybe this is typical, but it's also exceptional because normally even I have a really hard time getting our active little Tyndale to eat. (I often beg Sam to either hold him or entertain him while I sneak food into his mouth.)

Respite

(originally from BBW blog)

I've been telling my family that in the past few weeks, I've felt like I've been in the eye of the storm, so to speak. That after several somewhat crazy and exhausting (yet wonderful!) months, I feel that life is "normal" again, a lot of my stresses have decreased, and I can be a little more relaxed and focus on things other than just the necessary and the essentials. Things are just as busy, but not so stressful. And now I'm praying for help in using this time wisely before the next wave hits!

I read this the other day, and really appreciated it. (But it also concerned me a little. . .  if things are easier now, what's to come?!) 

"Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Proverbs 3:11-12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain. . . . This life is an experience in profound trust--trust in Jesus Christ."

I'm grateful to be able to look back and see where that "stretching" was a conduit for growth. Too bad I have so much more room to grow! I'm enjoying the respite, but know that more challenges will come. And maybe they're already starting. . . Tyndale just started teething. . .

Mobility

It all started when Tyndale would wriggle off of his blanket or rug.

(4 1/2 months)

Then he would unintentionally scoot backwards and end up in funny places, like under the table or couch.

(5 1/2 months)

Then he was able to sit up without support.

(He was absolutely fascinated by water bottles. Loved them!) (5 1/2 months)

And finally he was crawling.

(6 months)

At the same time he started crawling, he started doing this funny thing. He does it all the time, but usually his feet are together, and sometimes he puts his head down and his bum goes up really high. I always think in my head, "Gimme an 'A'!"

(6 months)

Funny how we splurged on a soft rug for Tyndale just a week or two before he figured out how to get off of it.

He's so happy being mobile!

In the last few days, he's figured out how to get to the sitting position on his own (one foot forward and one back). And he's also starting to climb and get up on his feet and knees.

(6 1/2 months)

Patiently waiting for breakfast.

Love this cute boy! (6 1/2 months)

Prayer of a Sleep Deprived Mother

I started composing this in my head around 2am one recent morning. . . It progressed (and became a little more exaggerated) as the night went on.

Now I lay me down for the 50th time tonight

I beg and plead that I might sleep alright

And if my boys continue to wake me every quarter hour

I pray that when I wake I won't be grumpy and sour

And when my husband's alarm goes off in not too long

I ask that I not hear the song

Or at least that he won't push snooze time after time

So I can enjoy just a few moments of sleep sublime

Can anyone relate? It's a good thing these little ones come so irresistibly adorable and loveable!

Chiasmus

Ked has begun speaking in chiasmus.

"I hungwy sta-vin' me!"

We are so proud of our two-year-old literary prodigy.

Two Way Treat

While sometimes we're very aware of Ked's limited vocabulary, other times we forget what limitations he has. Good thing he reminds us.

Yesterday, Sam was talking to Ked after Ked had hit his cousin Dane for the bajillionth time.

Sam: Ked, Heavenly Father wants us to treat others kindly.

Ked (with a hopeful voice): Treat?

Ked 28 months