Rambling Catch Up!

Yes! We are still alive and kicking over here, just really bad at keeping up on our blog recordings.

So here is some catch up. Beware it might be as long as a novel.

Bryan has been working extreme hours these past few months at work (like nearly 140 this past pay period). Which is great, 'cause how can you complain about having work? Yeah, you can't. But we sure do miss him... a lot. He has worked the past 30 days straight, with no days off. We are so lucky he is such a hard worker, and has a job that needs him. But gosh darn it! We miss him. Tonight we all rode bikes together on our patio and driveway. The boys and I drew a chalk race track this morning, and tonight we all rode together, were silly together, laughed together, had fun together, while the warm golden spring sun set just past the green trees of our neighborhood streets. It was lovely.

Speaking of bikes. We got new ones for the boys. Balance bikes/glider bikes. Whatever you want to call them, they don't have pedals or gears. They boys just push them with their feet, it is supposed to help them learn to balance. These bikes are awesome! In just a couple days the boys are riding longer on their bikes, and attempting things I never ever saw them try with their other heavy pedaled trikes/bikes. I hoped it would help the "learning to bike ride" process move along at a faster pace. And so far, it definitely is. They are loving it, and so are we. Watching your kids enjoy learning something is such a fantastic feeling. Almost better than learning something new yourself.

Aside from riding his bike, Oscar has been playing with his Lego Bionicles every day. He prefers to refer to them as "miconicles." Which is awesome. A couple weeks ago I picked up a ginormous bag of bionicle pieces at a local thrift store for seven bucks. Little did I know at the time there were the makings of nearly 17 bionicles in that bag! That is 17 for the price of about 1. They have been playing hide and seek, getting hung from the branches of our trees, taking rides in our bike baskets, fighting...so much fun. Oscar is still loving to create, and almost daily comes to me with ideas of monsters to draw/make, creatures to construct, ideas to carry out and made up games to play. His mind is always churning and working on something, even when he seems serene and quiet...something fantastic is always going on in that beautiful mind of his. He laughs in his sleep, actually he is doing it right now, which always makes us happy. He is super brave and strong, and just had his first trip to the dentist where he did so well having (more than one) cavity filled, no tears at all. He still loves for me to hold him at night, kiss his owies better, kiss me on the lips, and have me sing to him at night. Oh and he still always asks for me to play with him. He loves to have me play with him. Even though I don't always say yes, or play with as much enthusiasm as I should. I am still so honored that he wants me. I love him.

Angus is having just as much fun on his wooden motorcycle bike (it really looks like one)! He is so great at putting his own clothes on, and is always excited to do so right when he wakes up. Often he will change wardrobe 3 times a day. He is always requesting to wear "clothes from Owen," his cousin. He loves to play the name game (they both do), where we take turns calling each other silly silly names like "marshmallow tow," or "goober-eyeball," or "stink-ear-wax-bomb." Of course variations of the names "butt-head" and "fart-stink-pooper" are inevitably involved. But then again they are my children, and I still can't contain my giggles when I hear the word poop (or many other "potty" words for that matter). He loves for me to hold him, and especially scratch his back when he gets too hot (usually due to a massive tantrum). He still lays his head on my shoulder when he is in my arms. He loves to lick my face, and usually I just lick him right back. There are times when he still screams for what he wants right when he wants it, which then causes me to want to scream And sometimes I really do. But for the most part we are getting better at speaking in our kind "big boy (and girl) voices." His hair is fluffy and I love to smell it and run my fingers through it. He usually has a messy face because he is always eating, but I love to look at it regardless.

I have been working like crazy in the yard. I love to dig in the dirt. Way more than I ever realized. Give me a day were I am in my grubby clothes, outside digging in the yard, sun shining, chickens squawking, boys running happily (and sometimes not so happily) around me playing, and I am one happy girl. Those kind of days are really my favorites. Luckily the boys and I have been able to enjoy quite a few of those over the past few weeks, and they have been delicious days. My yard looks happy about it too. Green grass, blooming plants, and a half planted garden coated in fresh compost, yep that is a happy yard. I am also super anti-social lately. So if you have picked up on that, don't be offended. I love being home marching to the beat of my own drum. I am often surprised at how much I like low key days spent at home. They refuel me, and I need them often. The increased anti-socialness is also common for me when I am pregnant, and so is eating unmentionable amounts of oreos. What I didn't mention I was pregnant? Yep, we are happy happy happy to be expecting another fun little Rich boy at the end of September. I have been feeling pretty good for the most part, and started to feel the little guy kick in the last couple weeks. We are all excited.

Life is good. Life is busy. Life is beautiful. We are so glad this life is ours.