Mother's Day

 I'll be honest, I was hoping my kiddos would have been super, extra sweet to me on Mother's Day this year. With it being one day a year they HAVE to be good, I definitely got my hopes up. Man they were so naughty and grumpy to me all day long! Good think Tina and I celebrated the Saturday before with some pedicures, lunch and shopping. Although they were naughty on Sunday, the disappointment only lasted a short moment though because it seems like they always do something sweet to make up for the disobedience. These "flowers" Jackson gave me one day while we were outside playing with neighbors. Even though they are weeds to us adults, to Jackson he was so proud that he had something to give to me. I personally think they are the best flowers to get because they are free and because they were given with love!

Another thing that put a smile on my face was this cute paper the elder's quorum did for the primary classes while the Mom's got pie to celebrate Mother's Day. It reads:

My mom's name is Jamie

My mom is 19 years old (Love the innocence. Man I am old in Jackson's mind!)

My mom likes to clean (He must think what I do the most of is what I LOVE to do)

My mom has brown eyes (Good job!)

My mom weighs this much: 7 pounds! (That's right Jackson, and don't you forget it!)

My moms birthday is on May

My mom was born in Utah

My mom's favorite food is burritos (who knows where this one came from!)

My mom likes to help me clean my room

My mom is the best at driving (This will forever be proof to Nate!)

If anything this Mother's Day was a day of reflection on how grateful I am for these munchkins making me a Mommy even if they are naughty. Love you boys!

The "spike"

For weeks Jackson was telling everyone that he was going to cut his hair. He was so serious about cutting it off into a "spike". I have always wondered what he would look like with his hair cut off, but when he decided it was time I had to let the idea sink in. Good thing Hollie was booked out a few weeks because it gave me some time to adjust to Jackson's wishes. I totally needed the emotional preparation. After a few weeks of simmering the idea of Jackson having a spike and before I knew it we were at Hollie's for the big day. Here is the before picture!

 Next was spraying it down with water...

 and then the first cut! That is when he instantly panicked and the saddest look was on his face. Hollie had made one little snip and he changed his mind. I could tell he had changed his mind and I knew he didn't want to cut it anymore. After questioning what he wanted he admitted he didn't want it cut anymore and went for the regular trim.

 A few inches later and some thinning shears this was the haircut Jackson wanted. We can finally see his eyes again (at least for a few weeks) so I am happy if he is happy! Maybe we will get the "spike" another time.

Andersen {19 Months}

This post could be a long one if I explained all of these pictures but the condensed version is this kid is hilarious and wanting to be a big boy so bad! He is all about being just like Jackson. Andersen has to wear his hat, brush his teeth, play baseball, and even sit at the big boy table just like his brother. We have started getting more comfortable with the idea of him not eating in his high chair, but he still gets distracted or stands up on the chair which gets him put back in the high chair. We also have started the one nap a day schedule and he hasn't quite adjusted because I have caught him a couple times asleep in his chair. This time he was still chewing an apple every few seconds but his eyes were closed and he was on his way to a deep sleep. Andersen loves to be outside and would play all day outside if I would let him and if the weather would cooperate. He also loves watching Jackson play T-ball. His favorite place to be if its not outside is on the corner of our bathroom counter while Nate and I are getting ready. He is learning new words every day, but still prefers to use the "angry-bird" squeal to get whatever he wants. I still think his favorite word is Daddy because that is the first word he says when he wakes up in the morning and its that last one he says before going to bed. Every night as I am putting him in his crib, Andersen will say in a question "Daddy?". There are times that I will look at Andersen while he is playing and I wonder where the time went. I still think the 2nd child grows up way faster than the first because I feel like I blink and I missed another month of milestones for this little guy. But then I think how much fun he is and how much happiness he has brought into our family and I can't even remember what it was like without him. Love you little Booger!

More times than not I feel like I am constantly the referee between my boys! I feel like I am always seperating, or giving a toy back that one stole from the other, putting one in time out for hitting or spitting, or saying NO a million times for more treats, juice and cartoons. They tend to be really kind to each other for the first hour after they wake up and the last hour before they go to bed. The list can go on, but thank goodness for cute pictures like these ones to remind me how sweet they CAN be to each other when they want to. They always have to be sitting cheek to cheek to watch tv.

 Or reading the same book while Jackson tells the shorten version of the story from memory since he can't read yet.

 They even watch tv the same! Look at them both have their fingers in their mouths with blankies in the other hand.

 Even though these two fight like cats and dogs, I know deep down they love each other. They always have to give each other hugs before going to bed and Jackson loves to sing him primary songs every night before Andersen goes to bed. It is the sweetest thing!

If only I could figure out to get that same behavior more often during the day!

Dentist check up

A couple weeks ago Jackson had his dentist appointment. He got another good check up and was so good throughout the whole appointment. It also helped to have Tangled playing on the TV above. He used to be afraid of the dentist and wouldn't let anyone touch inside his mouth but the last two visits he has done awesome! The last two times the assistant has even been able to do x-rays and prophy all his teeth front and back. Jackson is so good at letting us brush and floss his teeth. He even does a pretty good job brushing them himself. I think this boy has the best looking baby teeth! I am going to be sad when he starts losing his teeth because the picket fence look is so youthful. But all Jackson wants is them to fall out so the tooth fairy will come.

Easter

I think holidays are way more fun now with kids and it just keeps getting better the older our boys gets. Jackson is the best age for the EB and he got so excited knowing he was coming. We spent Saturday night going to dinner with some friends and then afterwards we colored our eggs for the Easter Bunny. Jackson was a pro and knew exactly what to do. Andersen on the other hand decided the magic crayon to draw on the eggs was better to eat than to color with.

 

The sport wraps had to be done by me with boiling water but Jackson got to color or sticker the rest and then pick what color to dye the eggs after he was done coloring.

After eggs were all done and the house cleaned up, Jackson wanted to write the EB a letter so he knew what to do with the eggs. So with my help, I wrote the letter and Jackson told me what to write.

It reads:

Dear Easter Bunny,

Please keep these eggs and hide them. Please can you leave me some Easter presents. I hope you like my eggs and thank you for coming to my house!

Love, Jackson

With all the anticipation, Jackson went to bed with no questions asked. But also with that anticipation comes an early morning! I woke up to Jackson running into my room telling me he didn't even peek as he ran from his room to mine. So cute! He was so excited to go see what the Easter Bunny had brought him. Andersen still wasn't sure what all the hype was about, just knew there was something new and fun for him to discover.

Here are the boys baskets. Both got new Spiderman PJ's, a new shirt for church, some sand toys, a bubble wand, and of course candy.

In addition to their basket goodies, Jackson got some new T-ball stuff that he has wanted so he can practice.

And with the help of Jackson unwrapping Andersen discovered he got this new toy! He loves it but unfortunately the EB got the wrong one. It was not even motorized so it got returned (separate post coming on his new ride!)

Andersen was the first to realize the eggs were hidden in the room and was so excited when he found one. So right after the presents were opened the egg hunt began. Andersen had to be the one carrying the basket to collect all the eggs.

Jackson didn't mind at all because that gave him more hands to reach the harder to find eggs.

I think the egg hunt was by far more fun to watch than presents! These two were so cute and had so much fun!

Next we were off to church where Jackson had his first opportunity to sing with the Primary in front of the congregation. I don't think he knew many of the words to the song, but he loved all the attention.

Then after lunch and naps we made it over to Nana's house where they got spoiled again!

Before the boys started to play with their new toys from Nana we did another hunt but this time it was a real egg hunt. Nana and Grandpa Paul know how to do it right. There was 110 eggs this year stuffed with total of $95 and at least 10lbs of candy that the boys got all to themselves since Uncle Chase didn't come and Uncle Ry and Aunt Leeshie live in Texas unfortunately. 

It wasn't the same without everyone there to share in the competition and to throw real eggs (Alicia... wink, wink!), but the boys loved every second of it and definitely got their fair share of eggs!

And lucky for the Nate and I the kids would trade money for candy any day!

Once all the eggs were accounted for the boys headed back outside to play with their new baseball stuff. Jackson got this awesome net to catch his ball when he wants to practice hitting. Andersen got new baseball stuff as well, so he could play just like brother.

We weren't outside for too long before it started getting cold and dark, so back inside we went. Jackson insisted that we bring their new PJ's so both boys changed into jammies to model them for Nana. The sunglasses were just an added accessory from their Nana baskets. Andersen loves his new sunglasses and still loves wearing them everyday around the house.

These boys sure love their Nana and I know she loves them just as much in return.

What another fun day spent with family reflecting on the real meaning of Easter mixed with presents and yummy food! It doesn't get much better than that.

Someone was tired....

I guess someone was a little too tired to finish his gogurt today for lunch!

Jackson's Indoor Soccer Team

With Jackson doing so well and loving his Fall season of soccer with all his friends from the neighborhood we decided we would try it again, but indoor this time. It was during the first game that I was immediately regretting my decision of letting him playing because it was common to see Jackson doing this... If you look close at this picture you will notice he is in the back of the pack skipping! Yes, I caught a picture of him in mid-skip. Jackson was totally not interested in playing like last season and it took everything to get him excited for it. 

Come the 2nd game his head was in the game and he played so much better! He continued to lose motivation throughout the games, but nothing like the first games. This team only had a few kids on it so they ended up playing pretty much the whole game other than when Jackson wanted to take a quick drink break

 or cool off. Jackson's face was always bright red from running so hard.

 Jackson didn't score as many goals this season as he did last season but at least he got the concept of only scoring for his team. Towards the last few games Jackson was scoring 3 or 4 goals a game!! We were so proud. It was tons of fun watching him play and work so hard at getting the ball. 

 The best part though was seeing these cute smiles after every time he'd score a goal!

Two of Jackson's buddies, Tate and Cannon, played on the same team so that made it even more fun to watch.

Good job Jackson!! Overall it was a fun season to watch and we are impressed at how much you have improved just in two seasons. This definitely was a smaller team than last time but I am pretty sure you are missing a few kids in this team picture. (we never had a full team all season long). Thanks Brandon for being a substitute coach because the picture wouldn't have been the same without Cannon!

Andersen... {18 Months}

 I have been wanting to do an update on Andersen for a couple months now, but I procrastinate and now here he is 18 months old already!! This picture of him in his grocery cart was a couple months ago, but it shows his new curiosity to climb on/into anything. Just the other day I caught him climbing on our kitchen table! This yellow binky in his mouth was one of the 2 last ones we had for him out of a total of 4. This kid loved his binky, but I think Nate and I loved it more because of the convenience of instant silence and comfort that came with it when plugged in. {Fun memory about his binkies: we would keep all 4 binkies on Andersen's dresser so we always knew where they were. Every time we would take him to bed or a nap he would point to his binkies to switch colors from what he already had in his mouth.} Gradually the number of binkies dwindled and we were forced to break the habit. Andersen has officially been off the binky for 4 days and counting! I don't know who misses it more, but overall he is doing great without it. Nap time is still taking him a few minutes to put himself to sleep but everyday it is getting better. I know it is better for this habit to be broken, but I kind of miss the sweet baby face, his gibberish while holding it in with is teeth, and cheesy grin that would always sneak through it.

 It is very common to see Andersen walking around with something from the kitchen. The regular favorite is the whisk and the small pan. But the measuring cups and spatulas run as a close second. It is also a regular to see him with no shirt on. This kid would go naked every day if I didn't pin him down to put on his clothes. His favorite is right after we strip him down before getting in the bath tub. He loves to run around the house naked until I force him into the tub. Many of times I will let him just run around the house in his diaper rather than dirtying clothes but those are the times I hear him in his dresser getting out his own clothes to wear. He doesn't like when I dress him, but if he gets to put them on he is a happy camper. His legs are always going through the neck hole of his shirts but to him it doesn't matter, he's just proud that he got them on.

 Andersen seems to be learning funny new things everyday now, one of my favorites is when I ask "who is cute?" His instant response is "Me" with his hand raised. He also has learned to do knuckles and another favorite of mine with his two fingers up his nose and head tilted back meaning "ooh, stinky!" {Thanks Grandma Kay!} My ultimate favorite though is he learned to say "O'llo" MegaMind style. That movie was a regular at our house for awhile and Nate and I would say it to Jackson randomly, well Andersen was definitely listening and we got a random "O'llo"! It was hilarious!

 This kid also loves his stuffed animals. Every night he sleeps with ducky, teddy, and polar bear. Sometimes his pillow pet gets tossed in the mix, but the first 3 are definitely a necessity. For the most part Andersen is a pretty good sleeper and I love watching him sleep. He always looks so sweet and innocent. We had a few weeks of him waking up every night around 3ish and wouldn't go back to bed unless he was in our bed, but thank goodness that habit has died out on its own.

 Something Andersen only likes if its on his terms is brushing his teeth. It is total torture to get a good cleaning of his teeth, but if we let him have the toothbrush, he runs around the house for hours with it while its turned on. Another torture chamber for him is getting his nails clipped. That is one item on the "to do list" that I will hold off as long as possible to dodge the fight and wrestling match.

For the most part Andersen is still a sweetie but he definitely has a little fire in him. Lately he has become a feisty little stinker, but I guess you have to learn how to hold your own with Jackson as his older brother. He is also using/learning more words {hello, daddy, mommy, Shelley, Zeus, more, bye bye Daddy, strawberry, ball} but can compete with the best of them with his gibberish sentences. He loves to throw his food off his high chair and has become quite picky with his food choices. He also loves playing baseball or anything outside with brother and brothers friends. I love that he is learning to give the best hugs and that my shoulder is still the second desired sleeping spot if he is super tired and has no where to lay down. We love you Deeto! Thanks for all the laughter and joy you bring to our family.

Andersen's 18 month check up was yesterday and the following were his stats: 

Weight: 28.2 lbs (79%)... Jackson was 31.2 lbs (94%)

Length: 34 inches (91%)... Jackson was 36 inches (off the chart)

First day of Nursery!

Today was Andersen's first day of Nursery! As parents you count down this day once your child learns to be mobile because it makes for a difficult and busy 3 hours of church once they decide to be more independent. It is always a bittersweet day as well. Andersen has always been a really good napper during the 2nd hour and I enjoyed him sleeping on my chest while Daddy teaches the class, but today was the end of that cuddle time. Jackson was even excited for him to go to nursery. As soon as Sacrament was over (and Andersen's new nap time) Jackson wanted to carry Andersen to his class, but settled to hold his hand since Andersen wasn't going to have anything to do with that. Jackson was so cute and such a good big brother as he showed him the nursery routine. After probably 10 minutes of easing Andersen into his new teachers and the other kids, I was out the back door in hopes he didn't see me. Andersen unfortunately saw me leave and the tears instantly came, but according to another parent in there at the same time, the tears didn't last long. Thank goodness... that is torture for me! Overall, Andersen handled his first day like a champ I think considering the fact that there was 6 new kiddos starting nursery the same day and it was just a big cry-fest in sympathy for each other. I will miss my little cuddle buddy but so excited for Andersen to start this next step.