Dawson's phone convo

I called Kenton at work, with Dawson on my lap. Then Dawson wanted to talk on the phone. Here's the conversation... K: Hi Dawson! (x3)
K: Say "Hi Daddy"
D: Hi Daddy
K: How are you?
D: Yep!
K: Did you have fun today?
D: Yep!
K: Bye Bye (x3)
K: Say "Bye Bye Daddy"
D: More Daddy!!! (as he holds my hand and therefore the phone tightly to his ear)
K: Bye Bye
D: More Daddy!!! (x 2) (still holding TIGHT!!)

I somewhat forcefully take the phone and say goodbye as Dawson throws a mild fit... off to bed ;)

Wyattism

I told him he was driving me bananas, and he said "You're driving me APPLES!!!"

Dawson loves the chicks

When Wyatt was a baby/toddler, he demanded a very gradual, gentle introduction to the chickies in our barn. Dawson on the other hand has loved them since he met them (aside from once when I had to bring him in with me to find Kenton, and he was too young and noise sensitive). We have fresh chicks right now, so I brought him in for a visit while Kenton and Wyatt did their chores, and as soon as we were in, Dawson let go of my hand and ran straight for them. He was running after them, saying and signing "chickie", as they ran away. Once he got close enough, he grabbed one by the neck, and the poor thing was just dangling. I saved the chick, and held him properly so Dawson could pet him. He's so gentle and nice :) But he kept asking to hold him and he'd grab it by the neck again :( I tried a couple times to put one in his hands properly, but the feet tickled him, so he'd just laugh and say no. He certainly has no fear for such a tiny boy though!

My personal ATV tour guide

You'd think after living here for 4 1/2 years, I would know my way around the property. But for some reason, I haven't ventured farther than our yard, the barn and the nearest rows of berries, during picking season. Maybe it's because it's not "ours", so my curiosity about what we have here is limited, or maybe it's simply because, although I'm not totally girly, and I don't mind dirt so to speak, I also have little need for rows and rows of dirt and berries. Well, now that we have a brand new ATV, and I've taken it for a couple spins around our driveway and front lawn, Kenton thought it was time I take it for a real ride. So, I put on his helmet (which fortunately fits fine), got Wyatt all suited up, and Kenton warned me the "Frequent Stops May Occur". When Wyatt asked what that meant, I said that means you stop without warning on a regular basis and I should keep my distance. That satisfied him ;) So, off we went, with Wyatt taking the lead on his own little ATV. I had a basic idea of the path we'd be following around all the berry rows, but was mostly depending on Wyatt's knowledge. About 1/4 of the way, he stopped and turned around to see me. I thought maybe he was just checking to make sure I was still following... instead he was starting the "tour"... "So, here's the ditch" he says while nodding proudly, looking very self-assured. I give him a thumbs up, and away we go again. We get to the back, where there's a tractor and it's irrigation pipes blocking the most logical path. He steers to the right where there's a gap we can get through and stops again. This time I'm thinking it's because of the super-mud we need to go through... maybe he's making sure I'm okay with it? Nope. "So, this is the tractor, and those are the pipes..." and off we go. Around another corner, we're on the home stretch, and he stops again, only this time I know what to expect. "This is the grass road". Another nod, just to make sure I got that. Turn the last corner, ride across the front lawn, through the hedges and back to the barn, where Kenton and Dawson are waiting for us. Kenton asked if that was just one round, because apparently it took a lot longer than it takes them and he was getting worried, lol. I told him that Wyatt kept stopping to tell me where we were, but honestly, I think it also just seemed longer because he wasn't the one out there having fun! So we went for another round, but Wyatt's quad was stalling and after a few tries I couldn't start it up again, so I had to double Wyatt back to the house and take over with Dawson while Kenton and Wyatt went and got things going again. All in all, I had a great time and am definitely looking forward to doing it again. Although my crunchy side feels guilty for loving an air polluting, fossil fuel consuming pasttime... but I guess I can't be crunchy all the time ;)

Fisherman of the Day!

That's what Wyatt kept calling himself yesterday, when they got home from camping, with his first prized catch! It's a small 5oz Rainbow Trout, and he basically caught it all by himself!

Kenton was paying attention to steering, when Wyatt told him his line was pulling. Kenton told him to start reeling it in, so Wyatt did, and when it was right close, Kenton picked up the line, and pulled the fish into the boat, where Wyatt proceeded to knock it out himself with the fish club.

Fortunately Kenton remembered that his phone has a camera ;)

He's ready... am I?

The past week, and particularly the past few days have been full of talk and excitement about Wyatt's first camping trip with Daddy. They borrowed a canoe, for fishing, which is another first for Wyatt. He's been practicing his casting for over a year now, but he's never been near water with his fishing rod. His Uncle Kolin will be meeting them tomorrow for fishing.

I was excited, and fully on board with this plan, and helped with all the packing, list-making and preparations... so why, when I was watching Kenton load him into the truck this afternoon, was I teary-eyed and anxious? I've been away from him overnight before... a couple stagette's, a few sleepovers with his cousins, times spent in the hospital with Dawson... but this seemed different somehow.

I know part of it is my constant nervousness about safety, and imagining all of the accidents that could occur. I have the same anxieties whenever Kenton goes hunting. But I also feel an aching, like something's missing. Or changing. Is my little boy really grown up enough to go camping without me? Is he really ready for a "boys trip"? When we said goodbye, he seemed more concerned about me missing him, than the other way around... but he's always been very empathetic and observant of unspoken feelings, so that really doesn't surprise me. Maybe it's the reminder that, little by little, I have to start letting him go.

I'm looking forward to frying up some trout tomorrow, but for now, it's time to quell my fears and get some sleep. And, I forgot to send the camera with them, but Wyatt brought his own VTech camera, so if there are any discernable pictures, I'll add them tomorrow.

My baby's growing up...

I can't believe how much Dawson has changed and grown up in the last month... In addition to the 75+ signs he uses, he's starting to use more and more spoken words every day. Most of them are only understandable in context, or when used with the corresponding sign, but they're words! He's also becoming much clearer about what he wants, how he wants it, and how he expects things to be. And, as an early 2nd birthday gift to us (months early, in fact), when these demands aren't met, he has various STRONG (but, unfortunately amusing) ways of showing his displeasure. Tantrums are now a regular event in this household again... (not to imply that Wyatt had completely grown out of them either. They're just less frequent.) And then there's his latest obsession with dropping everything possible over the railing and watching them tumble down until they crash at the bottom. Fortunately nothing's been broken yet.

But, along with the trials, come the treasures. He has FINALLY started saying Mama as more than just a whiny complaint... he's generous with the hugs, cuddles and sloppy kisses... he's extremely helpful and loves to do mini-chores for us, such as throwing garbage away, bringing me dirty dishes, putting the shoes back where he got them from (as bringing them out to us is another of his obsessions)... and watching him idolize Wyatt and learn so much from him, by means of copying, is so rewarding. Two are so much more fun!

I've defintely needed more babyproofing with him than I did with Wyatt, and I'm afraid he'll be a bit of an escape artist, but I'm looking forward to where this new phase of our journey takes us.

Wyattism

"Teeth is kind of like a saw in the mouth"

Wyattism

Today was Mother's Day Tea at Wyatt's preschool. One of the special stations was for them to paint Mama's nails. He did a pretty decent job for a first timer, but there's a fair amount of hot pink polish on the skin around my nails. Tonight was girls night, and I told him I would show off my beautiful manicure. When my nails caught his eye tonight at teethbrushing time, he asked me "Did you show off your nails tonight?" I said that I did. "Did they like them?". Yes, and they were all proud of you for doing such a nice thing for Mama. "Well, they should have come here and told me that!"

Bedtime Story

This is the bedtime story Wyatt told to Kenton when he tucked Kenton in for bed... (told from memory as best as I can)

"Once upon a time, there was a quad. His name was Speed Racer. He had a rider named Wyatt. Wyatt had a family named Daddy, Mama and Dawson. He loved his whole family more than anything, EVEN his quad. And then he grew and grew and grew and grew until he was a teenager, and then he got a dirtbike. Then he got talenter and talenter and talenter until he was big enough and good enough to get a BIG quad. The end."

Wyattisms

This is new "series" of posts, just to get these little phrases down for posterity. Sometimes they'll come with a story, sometimes they'll just "be". (Dawson will have his own series when he gets into sentences too). It's partly to share them, and partly to document them until I get a chance to record them all in a book. I find it easier to type than write...

Today, in the car when Dawson was bugging him, he said ''I'm using up all my patience and I'll never have anymore''

Wyatt's new book-picking method

"Eenie meenie, miney mo, pocket full of po, husha husha, and I love....."

and then of course he usually decides he doesn't want the one he picked with that method and ends up picking whatever he wanted to read anyways, lol.

Goodnight!

My kids

I know I've been HORRIBLE about putting pics up on Facebook, and I haven't sent out a family email since Dawson's homecoming, so I'll make sure to be much better about it here :) (I also intend to put some on FB soon too, for those of you who are friends with me there as well). But here's a couple for starters... they're a few months old, but other than a haircut, they look the same today, so for those who haven't seen them in awhile, these are my monkeys!

My first post

This is my limited access blog, so if you got an email inviting you to read it, then you know I like and trust you to read my more personal thoughts, and details of me and my family. My other blog (http://mamalovesbest.blogspot.com) will only have "surface" info about the family, as well as things I just want to talk about to anyone who will listen, lol ;) This is the one to read if you want to keep up with my family's life :) But feel free to keep up with both of them, as the other one may have a lot of cute and funny "snapshots" (visual and written) of our daily life, particularly things the kids do and say.

I'll start writing for real over the next couple days, on both blogs, so come back and check them out!