Happy Birthday Sean!

Today is Sean's birthday!

My parents put together this music video for Sean and it was so fun for us to watch, I thought I'd share with all! He is so cute!



One thing is for sure...life would not be as much fun without Sean around. He is hilarous!
He loves to laugh. Loves to tell stories about stuff...sometimes we have no clue what he's talking about. Sometimes he tells stories just so he can be the one talking...which means he makes stuff up, sometimes false...this bugs his big brother. He's naturally athletic. Smart too...with Ryan learning to read, he always wants his turn too...and can actually read some of it. He is my biggest helper, seriously will do anything and everything I ask him(bringing folded clothes upstairs and retrieving wipes or diapers are most frequent requests). He loves fruit - all kinds. He loves asparagus! He loves to play with his family and Ryan is his best friend. He shares his food...even candy...even the last one! He tells me that he loves me daily...then tells me how pretty I am. He thinks and says he loves me more than I love him, but I don't think so! We are so happy to have him as part of our family!

Ready, Steady, Go!

Friday - first day of no training wheels. Totally can ride - just needs help starting.

Saturday - we went on a 3 mile bike ride - with no training wheels...the trip was long for a little dude who'd just learned to ride...he got hot and hungry. He had less confidence because of the hills. Scott helped with the harness. Thought he might want training wheels back on because he couldn't ride all by himself...we told him that the ride was too long and hard for the second day of riding.


Sunday - a day of rest

Monday - he decided to practice starting. With mom's hand on his shoulders 2 times, he'd got it!






and perfected his new skills - starting and stopping!


This shot is of the "motorcycles."


Leaning the bikes over - looks like motorcycles on a kick stand. This is with dad's help...but Sean even thinks it looks cool when he lays it down.

Practicing tricks.

Ryan invented going down the slope of our driveway on this extra wide scooter. Sean invented the hop.

Scott's proud that both of his boys ride "goofy." (opposite of most people - and same as dad).

"I'm catching up!"

After going to one of our YW softball games, then Ryan's T-ball game, the boys still didn't want to go inside...so after eating t-ball treats on the driveway, the bikes came out...and on a whim(we'd been talking about it for a while...but hadn't already planned on it that day), Sean's training wheels came off!

It's amazing what the example of an older sibling can do...Sean rode without assistance within seconds of starting and for lots of his first loop! Not once did he act scared or nervous. This video is only his second loop without training wheels! He says as he turns the corner..."I'm catching up!"

After his first loop, he asked for the harness to come off...but isn't that good quite yet. He needs help starting, but once he gets going, he's really good! And of course loves that he can go fast...and thinks it's really cool that you can lay the bike down because it looks like a motorcyle leaning on a kick stand.
* yes, my sister learned to ride about the same time as me...I had a huge bike...she had a tiny one. Ryan's example of riding and having fun showed Sean that it's fun and doable...though as Scott was taking off the training wheels, Ryan was counseling Sean saying, "It's pretty tricky Sean.

His prayer tonight included, "Thank you that I can ride my bike, and help me to get as fast on my bike as Ryan."

Today as "pitcher," he caught lots of grounders and sent them off to first base!

This baby is so tired, only half a nap ~ but he caught a second wind!

Go Cubs!

This is going to be a great season! It was so fun for me to watch and Ryan had just as much fun playing so it was a successful first game! My heart swelled with pride...I was "well-pleased."

Pre-game warm-up...pretending to throw their ball.

Nice form Ryan!

(notice his tongue in each of the action shots...no wonder he has chapped lips. Apparently it's a good thing we got his tied tongue clipped ~ when he was a baby ~ so he could use it for concentration.)

First baseman Motley kept his eye on the ball! He loved it. I loved it because he got lots of good action.

Good throw bud! Nice follow thru!

no movement in the tee whatsoever!

His favorite part is running the bases. Seriously, could he be any cuter?

Nolan, Bennett, Hayden, Brady, Ryan and Mikey in the "Dugout." This park's dugout is just a bench, but Ryan was so excited to get to sit in the dugout (chanting dugout at he left outfield)...though I think this was the only time he actually sat down, as he was hovering near the field entrance because he was so anxious to get up to bat!

Ryan and Bennett with my awesome team banner! It's so cute, I love it...thanks Marilyn for helping make those baseballs! They took three times longer to make than I assumed so she had to finish embroidering them for me so I could take my tired kids home. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. It looks awesome!

Opening Day ~ Fun Day!

T-Ball Opening Day! It was so much fun!

The Cubs were the first team out!

Here the kids are at 3rd base after parading around the infield. The Cubs were the first team out, probably because they were the cutest!

**There are some pics from others I'll put up here after I get them...my pictures of the parade were not great. **Ryan is the second cubbie...in front of Scott (white shirt ~ an Asst. Coach).

After the parade there was a "carnival" of bounce houses(unlimited access for a $5 wristband ~ lines were not long), snack bar open, and big kid baseball games. The kids got to meet Dinger, the local minor league baseball team mascot. There were clowns making ballon swords, lazer guns, animals and hats. My kids of course chose the lazer gun and sword option.

Ryan hurdling the first obstacle in the Spiderman obstacle course. He and Sean were very into beating their opponent...and did nearly every time, even the opponents who were much bigger!

The Wrecker

One on One...this was hilarious!

Sean and our friend were harnessed into each side, but the rope was connected in the middle so it was like tug-o-war to get closer to their own hoop. This little guy tried so hard and made three baskets! The lady did end up helping him by holding the rope out for him since he had been pulled to the yellow barrier. So funny!

We had an awesome day! It got pretty hot so the kids got snowcones at the end...and Kyle needed some reward for being sooo good chillin all day while the brothers played their hearts out. Games start Tuesday and we are so excited.

Leprechaun Hunt

After our yummy rainbow jell-o and green 7-up, we headed out for a "Leprechaun Hunt," aka...a walk:) My kids have been Leprechaun obsessed this last week. I love holidays...and despite the fact that all my children have Irish names, I get less excited about St. Patrick's Day(I forgot why we celebrated St. Pattys...so I looked it up...and St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland after he escaped from being a slave as a young boy in Ireland...then legend says he used the Shamrock to teach about the Godhead {Trinity} - cool! So next year we'll definitly have shamrock decorations!) I did make Julie's rainbow jell-o again and dyed 7-up green. Anyhow, after hearing Leprechaun talk at school, Ryan came home with stories...and then the two of them were serious. And wanted clarification. And wanted traps. I pretty much failed them on those counts. But when we had extra daylight and headed out for a walk...I named it a Leprechaun Hunt! And we were all wearing green!

Ryan stayed pretty far ahead of us - having the time of his life. At one point I had to run and run and run to catch up with him as he was just too far away!

My Virginia friends might find this funny...around here our hills turn green in the winter/spring and brown/golden in the summer. Yeah, a bit confusing for this Virginian girl, but I've come to love it!

Starting at our house...we can connect up to this beautiful trail and loop back around for a perfect 3 mile walk.
  I. Love. It!
It was the first time Ryan rode a scooter and Sean rode his bike and they did great the whole way!
So fun!

This snowy egret picture was not taken by me. BUT we saw one (it was dusk and my camera wasn't fancy) as we often do in the wetlands and it's one of my favorite things around here so I thought I'd share!

Ah! My own little Leprechaun! He's been making this funny face a bunch.

Happy Birthday Patrick! (my brother-in-law Patrick's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day! Pretty sweet. The boys thought that was really cool this year.)

Survey...feeding older babies!

I love to see this smile and the noises that come with it at meal times!

I don't like to see this sad face and the noises that come with it:)

So I've been using this a lot...he likes real food.

He loves bananas and chicken and cheese and whole grain noodles and black beans (my favorite to make him - I'll toss in some plain yogurt and cilantro, chicken and it's pretty yummy) with mix-ins. Usually I'll take a portion of our meal and mix it up in the Magic Bullet. My sister gave it to me for Christmas over a year ago and I'm embarrased to admit that I just started using it about a month ago. (I really like it - for many reasons. There's two blade bases...and many top cup attachments and it's real easy to clean and light weight, etc. It's perfect for making baby food - and I'm gonna use it for lots of uses now that I'm used to it.) Kyle is over the simple one vegetable or fruit flavors or texture of the smooth purees. He likes some chunks, but not the kind that come in third foods. He likes more flavors mixed into his meal. So the Magic Bullet has become my friend:) BUT...I need more ideas! I've successfully fed two other children through this stage, but I forget! Plus all babies are a bit different. I think I fed Ryan baby food longer. Sean loved thawed frozen peas. But what else did I feed them? I don't know. My trouble times are when he wants to eat and dinner isn't ready yet...so I need to find easy and available stuff to put together quickly while I'm making everyone else's food.

So I'm hoping to get a discussion going...what were/are your go-to foods to feed babies between 9 months and 18 months? I'll take any and all ideas. Hopefully this might help you guys too.

Happy feeding!

*post-edit...he'll eat lots of regular things(our dinner, grilled cheese sand.., quesadillas, chicken chunks, bananas, cheese chunks, crackers, bread, etc). Probably anything I put in front of him, except pieces of veggies. So my big problem is that the go-to food available when he wants to eat is usually more startchy, less veggies.