These are pics of Corban's birthday. The slide was from J's parents, Johnny and John built the stand for it Sunday afternoon. Corban LOVES it! He was also so good the whole day, he even let Caden help him unwrap his presents!

Both boys had their checkups today. They did well. Corban was 39 1/4 inches and 36 1/2 pounds (84% and 89%). Caden was 32 1/4 inches and 22 1/2 pounds (33% and 7%). They are about as different as could be on paper, and even though I know Caden is smaller than Corban at the same age, they don't seem to be that much different. I just looked it up, at 18 months, Corban was 1 1/2 inches taller and almost 4 pounds heavier. Well, gonna watch a show with J before I turn in. I know everybody else is hating the time change, but I'm loving it, the boys are sleeping in until about 7:30 every morning!

Three

Yesterday was Corban's birthday, I can't believe he's already that old! We had been telling him his birthday was coming in a few weeks, so when we were having his party, we asked him what it was for, and he said, "My birthday in a few weeks!" Friday night Nana and Poppy (aka Diane and Jim), came out and got to spend some time with Corban. Grammy and PawPaw got here Saturday for breakfast. The grandmothers played with the boys while the rest of us did a few errands in the morning. After the boy's naps Craig, Diana, and Joshua came over and we opened presents and then had pizza and ice cream cake. After the "party" we took the boys over to Grammy and PawPaw's hotel so that they could swim. They both had a blast! Corban is not doing as well as he used to with the "kicking and paddling" so I think we might try to get him in lessons this spring. Caden on the other hand did great and was absolutely fearless in the water!

We came home, did showers and got the boys in bed VERY late Saturday night, especially with the time change. They slept until 8 the next morning though! Sunday was a pretty normal day, Nana and Poppy left for KY after lunch, the boys went down for their naps, and we watched TV while the guys napped on the couches. After all of that, Johnny and John finally got outside to put up Corban's new slide! It was his present from his Shirey grandparents. The guys finally got done with it about 6:30 or 7, and the boys got to slide for a while before we had to come in and get baths. Monday (Corban's actualy birthday), Paulette and I took the boys shopping while Johnny and John took their guns out to the sportsmans club that Johnny just joined. I drove all the way out to the Waterfront, about half an hour away, to use some coupons at Carters, but when I got ready to go in, realized I didn't have my purse with me! We drove back home, got my purse and then just went to the mall so I could use my Payless coupon. I got the boys dress shoes for Easter and a new purse for me!

I can't believe how grown up Corban seems to me now. There are so many things that he is doing and saying that just amaze me. He got his first "boardgames" for his birthday, so we've been playing Don't Break the Ice, Cootie, and Don't Spill the Beans. He's sharing so much better now and even listening better (sometimes). He goes to be with hardly a fuss and doesn't seem to be in timeout nearly as much anymore. The whining is still something we're going to have to work on though. Well, I have got to go get showered because we've got Corban's 3 yr. checkup and Caden's 18 month checkup this morning.

Yesterday at church we had a baptism. I cried. Then we sang "Pow'r in the Blood." I cried. No, I'm not pregnant, but of course I always cry at baptisms, espcially when it's an incredibly sweet 6th grade girl who has made such a wonderful decision. AND I always cry when we sing songs that were prevalent at Salem. Even though it never sounds quite the same because we have a piano, those songs always make me think of my Salem Church family and I miss them. I miss sittin on the back pew with Sherry and Kerry, I miss Marjorie calling me "The Little One." I miss our riduclous Sunday School class, and I miss all of the people I grew up with.

This weekend we didn't have much special planned, but we stayed busy. Friday J took the boys to Cabela's with him and Luke while I did some birthday shopping for Corban. That evening I was going to go to spinning class with Di, but that didn't work out. Instead we took the boys to the Y to play in the gym with Corban's newtohim basketball (J picked it up off the side of the road). Corban loves that ball and had so much fun running around at the Y. Saturday we ran a few errands, fools errands as they turned out, but oh well. After naps Saturday we ended up taking the boys over to church to play for a while b/c J had to go turn the heater on for the baptistry. We made a HUGE pot of vegetable soup on Saturday so we've been eating off of that. Yesterday we did church and then J went fishing. I took a bit of a nap, we talked to Nana and Poppy on the webcam, and the boys and I went to Craig and Di's for dinner. The boys were both so good, I was so proud of them!

Corban is going to be 3 next Monday! Mom, Dad, John, and Paulette are all coming up for it. We're not really doing anything, just pizza and ice cream cake here at the house with the family, Craig, Di, Luke, and Na. I think I've come to the decision that we'll have bigger parties for 1 and 5 years, and we'll see what comes after that. It's just too much to do friend parties when there are two of them, and I feel so awkward with the parties, b/c we ask people not to buy them gifts, to just come and celebrate with us, but that doesn't happen. I can't figure out where the time went though, seems like just a few weeks ago we brought him home from the hospital and he was so tiny! (It was snowing when we brought him home, hope that's not the same weather this year!)

Ramblings

Johnny is gone to visit a church member and then to a fly tying class that he helps out with sometimes. He won't be home until almost bedtime. I went to the Y this morning, had a nice long chat with Sherry on Facebook, and am getting ready to take a shower to go pick up my new glasses. My old ones were destroyed by a combination of 4 small hands (I don't know how or when they did it, but I know that they must be the resposible parties). Then we'll come home and eat ravioli (our dinner of choice when Daddy is away). I'm planning a trip to KY in April, looking forward to seeing everybody and getting to meet Max! Corban will be 3 two weeks from yesterday, I can't believe how grown up he is getting! I sold some of my old cloth diapers yesterday, I had them advertised on craigslist.com. I am now looking around my house for everything that I can put on craigslist. The treadmill is next. Our huge 61 inch TV is going bad, we don't intend to buy a new one anytime soon, if this one totally craps out we will just have to put an old 27 inch one up here to watch. Oh well. I would definitely put it on craigslist, but I feel bad when it's got issues... issues that would cost $1300 to fix, more than you would spend on a nicer TV now! My dad lost his cell phone (again), I think that this is his 5th one in 3 years. That's pretty impressive. Well, I've got to get in the shower.

Busy Day

Toay we've been really busy. J got up and went to the Y (he's lost 20 pounds!) while I got the boys fed and dressed and we went to get a few groceries. When we got back I didn't even take the boys out of the car, I just switched places with Johnny and he took the boys to the mall to play while I cleaned the house. It was NASTY. We did lunch and someone came to buy my old cloth diapers. The boys are down for their naps, Nina is here and J is tying flies. After I drop Nina off, I've got to shower, clean the toilets, and eat dinner before I go back to pick her up and take her home. Then when I get home we're taking the boys over to church for Luke and Nadine to watch during our small group. It's a parenting group here at our house this year. At first we weren't looking forward to it, but I think we're going to be able to draw quite a few people in through the group, so that's good. After today though, things shouldn't be too bad!

Corban is going to be 3 years old in two weeks, I can't believe how grown up he is! The other night he woke up and came out into the hallway and when I came out to meet him, he grabbed my hand and said, "Mama, I need your help with my blankies." The way he said it was just so matter of fact, just melted my heart. He crawled back into bed and I straightened up his blankets and he went right back to sleep. Caden put three words together yesterday, he said, "Do bouse, on." That was his way of telling me he wanted to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He also did the funniest thing I think I've ever seen him do the other night. Both boys were sitting on Johnny's lap and Caden was asking for Mickey Mouse. Corban said, "No, Caden, we're not watching Mickey Mouse this week." Caden looked at Corban for a second and then just lunged at him. It was totally like, you're not going to take MY Mickey Mouse away from me! Ahhh... the joy of two boys in the house. I'm sure we're going to be seing all kinds of fights from now on. Susan and Sherry will know these joys soon enough! Well, gotta get going. I'm hoping to ge to the Y this week at least 3 times - we'll see.