Adjusting and a Little Update

The last couple of weeks the kids and I have been adjusting not having Dustin around.

 Last week he had meetings all day and was getting his new classroom set up and this past Monday was his first day back. So we used to have him all the time and now he's gone 8-10hours a day!

It's been a little rough, I don't get to sleep in once and a while, or have my naps, and I have the kids to myself all day instead of taking turns. The kids are adjusting as well, from having two parents around all the time and now stuck with boring mom all day. Also we have been more relaxed in the summer on some things, and Dustin is "a little nicer" than me so the kids have to relearn some rules so there had been a little more whining or some disrespect and not listening to me so I have had to play mean mom this last week or two and there are have been some time outs which is something we usually don't have to do but things are looking better and I can be a little nicer and fun mom again!

Since we have been adjusting not having dad around I have had to really fill up the days to entertain the kids. It's been really hot, so parks aren't usually an option but luckily we had a cool day, which means 95 degrees. We usually go to splash pads and pools to stay cool. We go to a lot of stores to look around and the library where there is AC. I'm so ready for fall, I hate the heat especially being pregnant.  I also try to find fun new activities to do at home, today we did bath paint after I gave both boys a hair cut.

I've also started doing a little Pre-school with Thomas, nothing big, but I wasn't quite ready to put him to preschool yet and there wasn't a joy school happening near me so I decided to teach him myself and I personally like it. I think it's great other people put their kids at preschool but I guess I'm just enjoying my time with Thomas a little longer.  I feel like once he starts school it's the beginning of the end and I'm just not ready for that to happen, and I also like working with him one on one. I'm not planning on homeschooling him when he gets older but I can see the benefit of homeschooling and catering to the child, so I guess I'm just doing a little on my own until he starts kindergarten. So I teach him when Oliver is asleep and just twice a week for an hour, like I said nothing big. He already knows his letters really good and can write some of them, so this last week we have been writing letters using salt and our fingers and he loves it, he thinks it's a game. And we are also worked on seasons and he eat that all up. We also play Uno to learn his numbers and to learn to match colors or numbers/signs which is also fun to him. I feel like he is a sponge right now and he's really soaking up all the information quick and he's enjoying learning new things so I'm taking advantage of it.

Oliver is just talking up a storm, I can have a good conversation with him.  My in-laws and neighbors both have big spiders in the corner somewhere, like big ones, and now that's all Oliver talks about, he's scared and fascinated of them at the same time, but I think it's given him a few nightmares. It didn't help there was a spider in our house today, and I HATE spiders soooo much and it took me twenty minutes to build up the courage to kill it and when I did I was screaming which made the kids scared. Poor kid I'm not helping him over come this spider fear. He loves playing with Thomas, he thinks he's the greatest and loves doing what Thomas is doing.

As for me, I just recently got called as the Relief Society Activity Leader and that has kept me busier than I thought it would. I'm still a Sunbeam teacher  so this is my second calling. Last year I was unofficially helping with the Relief Society activities, I was in charge of decorating everything and making flyers until April they officially called me in the committee and now I'm the leader. I'm excited for the calling but it' s a lot of work, especially this time of the year. We are doing a Super Saturday which I've never done, I have always been in the ward that the bishop or Relief Society wouldn't allow it and now I'm in charge of one, a little over whelmed but excited at the same time because I've always wanted to do a Super Saturday. So that's been keeping me busy.

As for Dustin, like I said, he just started school. He's feels more prepared this year and is going to be more structured, and said he was going to play "mean" teacher the first week, but I don't think that's possible, but I think he knows how to handle disrespect better this year. I'm curious to see how this year goes for him.

Oliver @ 18 Months

This is well over due, since Oliver will actually be nineteen months before this week is through, but better late than never! 

With Thomas, I was so much better taking pictures, poor Oliver and our future children because I have feeling each kid I will be less and less likely to take a lot of pictures.

Well, one of the reasons, I have been bad at taking pictures of Oliver is because this kid is nearly impossible to get a good picture, he is always on the move. The only time this kid sits down is to eat or while reading a book. This little photo shoot, if you would call it a photo shoot, was nearly impossible and I'm lucky I even got these pictures.

So a little about Oliver:

He is not a fan of Nursery at church, well he's fine as long as Dustin or I are in there, which is kinda hard since we both have callings in the church.

He loves Thomas, and wants to do whatever Thomas is doing.

He knows all the super heroes by name, but Hulk is his favorite and likes to "Hulk Smash" things, which is not my favorite (why do my kids love Hulk so much?) but Batman is probably a close second.

He knows some letters, he knows "O,T,E, and sometimes R"

He knows most shapes, and knows blue and pink.

He's a talker, he talks a lot more than Thomas did this age. Some of his favorite phrases or words are:

" I don't like it" or "why?" we hear those the most. He says Thomas really cute but he can't say his own name yet.

The last little bit, he's been really good at throwing fits, and we are working on that, I think we might be going somewhere though.

He is a strong-willed kid, and I haven't figured a good punishment for him. With Thomas I would just have to give him the eye and he would crumble, while Oliver could care less and does what he wants to even when he knows he's doing something bad. Time out- he just thinks it's funny, taking toys away-whatever it was worth it.  I need to figure this one out before he's a teenager or I'm going to have problems.

He's a clinger, he's always on me, he follows me everywhere, he doesn't like when I leave the room, so I'm interested to see what's going to happen when the baby comes. He's a momma's boy, but after this summer and seeing Dustin more he has started to warm up with him more.

He loves going outside.

He loves popsicles.

He loves Mac-n-cheese.

He loves all kinds of fruit.

He loves to wrestle.

Even though he is clingy he is very independent and likes to do everything himself if he can.

He hates clothes so he's usually just in a diaper. I pick my battles.

Frozen is his favorite movie, I'm starting to get sick of the movie actually. 

He's pretty funny, and makes me laugh all the time.

He loves singing: "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes", "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam", and "Nephi's Courage"

He's a great member of our family, we love having him around.

We love you Oliver!

Six Flags

Today we had a great time going to Six Flags. This week if you have a seasonal pass you can bring a buddy, so Dustin's parents brought us to Six Flags for free and it was great. The lines were pretty short and there weren't too many people because most people don't want to be in the heat but it wasn't too bad today. 

I was a little bummed about not being able to go on rides because I'm such a roller-coaster junkie, darn pregnancy. Poor Dustin got a little lecture from me on how it's unfair that we both decide to have a baby but yet, I'm the one sitting out on the fun, and women always have it the worst; poor guy, I blame the hormones and it was before we ate lunch so I was kind of hungry.

But after some food, I was in a better mood and had fun going on rides with my kids. Thomas' favorite was obviously the batman airplane ride, we went on that one the most. Oliver's was the train that goes around the park. Overall it was a good day and both kids feel asleep on the way home.

After today I'm glad that Dustin and I didn't go to Orlando to see the new extension of Harry Potter world this year like we planed, because I would have been mad about having to sit out on everything there, so the plan is to go next year but we will see.

I am grateful that we are pregnant again, but I can't wait to be able to go on roller-coasters again.

Snap Shots of the Past week

 1. I know this picture is blurry, but I loved watching my boys eating snacks and talking and laughing (except they aren't in the picture ha ha) but I wanted to remember the moment.

2.If you follow me on Face book or instagram you already seen these awesome pictures I got at Hobby Lobby for a good deal but right after I post it in Black and White  Dustin said it wasn't as cool and needed to be in color, but I didn't want to post another picture again, so I'm doing it on my blog instead. I've had a blast decorating the boys' room super hero theme, that I told Dustin that I don't think any girl theme would be as fun if we one day have a girl, but I'm sure if I did have one in the future my opinions would change but till now I'm loving the super hero theme. 

3. On Friday night, Dustin was at a camp out with the young men so we had a party and watched a movie on our bed, the boys loved it, and so did I.

4. And my first pregnant picture for baby #3. I'm 17 weeks, and have put 16ish pounds, I have a Dr's appointment tomorrow so I'm kinda estimating on the weight, but last appointment I had gained 14 already, I usually gain how many weeks I am until week 25-30 I start slowing down.

Anyway, that's been our week!

Dallas Aboretum: Children's Garden

This Saturday I met up with the West's and the Cruz's at the Children's Garden at the Aboretum while Dustin was camping with the young men. It was fun but very HOT, no wonder in August tickets are only a dollar per person! But it was fun anyway and the kids had a blast. My favorite was probably the tree house that had huge net-like hammocks that were under the shade; I was OK staying there for the whole time.
 I really thought the garden was cool, it had a lot of fun interactive things for the kids and was educational at the same time, we will probably come back again... but maybe when the temperatures have cooled down a little.

Swimming

The kids have had a lot of fun swimming this summer. We've been lucky to use Dustin's parents community pool. But I'm not going to lie I'm excited for fall and cooler weather.