Top Ten Reasons We are Happy Today!

10. Andrew is home! HOORAY!! He did awesome with survival training, and is home safe and sound. He learned a lot, but is happy not to have to do that again.

9. Clayton has actually learned two signs! He can sign 'more' and 'all done!'. I'm so proud of him.

8. Brian is doing so awesome! He LOVES school, and is talking much more than ever.

7. This is our 100th post! We are gen-u-ine bloggers.

6. Our movers are coming Thursday/Friday on schedule- which is sad in some ways, but we are also excited to see Abilene and fly the B-1.

5. General Conference this weekend!! YAY! And the Air Show this weekend!! Hey, we can do both, right?

4. We finally are getting to watch Season 4 of The Office! We are a year behind, because we do not have cable. So we wait til it comes out on DVD each year, then have an 'Office Binge'! Hey, no commercials- it's cool!

3. The Child Development Center (CDC) on base has had extra hours open lately to take care of the boys while Andrew & I get 1,001 errands done. It has helped tremendously.

2. We have lived in Enid for two wonderful years, made amazing friends, graduated from pilot training, grown closer as a family, arrived pregnant, are leaving pregnant . . . and never got asked to speak in the Enid ward!!

1. We went in for our ultrasound today! And . . . it's a GIRL!! I am so amazed- I can't believe we are going to have a daughter!

Who wears short shorts?

Brian wears short shorts! Well, just a diaper to be exact. Brian's been going through a 'nudist' phase lately- he wants to wear just a diaper ALL the time. It is really strange coming from him- because up until about 3 weeks ago he was always concerned with being completely dressed! It used to be that as soon as I took his pajamas off, he would insist on "Shirt!" "Pants!" "Socks!" "Shoes!" every single day.

Then all of a sudden, he did a total 180. He comes up to me one day and says "Shirt off!" "Shorts off!" And it's been that way since. He is especially insistent about wearing no clothes for sleeping- he wants "Diaper and blankies!". I think he's worn pajamas once in the last 3 weeks. So . . . we've worked out a bit of a compromise. I let him sleep in his skivvies (naps and bedtime) but he must wear clothes when we leave the house. So far, it's working out pretty good.

Side note #1- potty training has been put on hold until after we move. It just was not happening, and it's one less thing for me to worry about while Andrew is gone.

Side note #2- Brian woke up this morning in a super-terrific mood; go figure. He gave me three big kisses and was smiling/talking like crazy. Kids are weird.

And here is just a funny picture of Clayton- it was right after bathtime (he's not a nudist too, thank goodness) and he was just chillin' sitting on a basketball. Good thing he does not share an office with Jim Halpert, eh?

Did my kid turn 16 overnight?

This morning I went in at about 7:30 to wake up the boys; Brian's preschool starts at 8:15. Clayton woke right up and was happy to get going (as usual). Brian is typically a bit more sluggish in the mornings. But today was something else- I said "Brian, is it time to get up?" and he shouted "NO!" and buried his head in his pillow. I tried once more "Brian, do you want some breakfast?" and he did the same thing. So I left to get Clayton ready, and left the bedroom door open with the hall light on- that almost always does the trick of giving Brian more time to wake up and come out on his own.

Well, not this morning! While I was getting Clayton's breakfast, I heard the boys' door SLAM. I went back a few minutes later and opened the door- and Brian was back in bed wrapped head to toe in his blankets. I picked him up and rocked him and talked to him for a bit. He eventually mellowed sufficiently for me to move him to the couch where a waffle, the movie Ratatouille and the reassurance that it was a school day (he loves school, but it's only twice a week) cheered him up remarkably. And we still made it to school on time!

Seriously though- if Brian has mornings like this as a three-year-old, can you imagine me trying to wake him up for high school? Yeesh.

Stationed at Fort Monks

One of my boys' favorite things to do is build forts! It's one of the benefits of having a soon-to-be-donated-to-the-thrift-store couch; Mommy does not mind building plenty of forts out of the cushions. Below is Brian making a weird face because he is trying not to smile. And of course, the most fun part- knocking the fort down! I think the boys miss Daddy- he can build some awesome forts! Mommy's are a bit on the lame side. Happily it's only a few more days til Dad's home.

What a gentleman!

So, Brian LOVES to act out movie scenes, and his favorite movie lately is "The Aristocats". He meows right along with the cats, repeats some of the lines, etc. Today he did my new favorite- when O'Malley the Alley cat meets the 'aristocat' Duchess, he takes her paw and kisses it- and Brian runs over to me, grabs my FOOT and kisses it!! How stinking cute is that?? I love that kid.

Injuries on the homefront

On Saturday night, Brian was standing on a kitchen chair leaning over the table. He saw something he wanted, and started to climb on the table on his knees, and I told him to get down. So he backs up to get down, misses the chair with his foot, and falls backward hitting his bum on the floor and the back of his head on the seat of the chair. He screamed and cried, and his head was bleeding quite a bit. So I called the on-call doctor, and got authorization to take him in. Of course insta-care was closed, so we had to go to the ER.

I called 5 people before I found someone who was home to watch Clayton; our wonderful next-door neighbors Aaron and Amy watched him. Anyway, I took Brian in and they checked him out (he had stopped crying on the way to the hospital, and was acting just fine- the bleeding had stopped too). The doctor said that they could put one staple in, but it was not necessary- it'll heal fine on its own. They told me just to not get it wet for a day, keep an eye on it, and wake Brian up once at night to make sure he wakes up okay.

Then today, I was folding laundry on my bed, and both boys were on the bed laughing, doing 'belly flops', etc. We do this often- for some reason the 'big bed' is just so much fun to play on! Well, Clayton was rolling around, and rolled right off the bed! I dove for him, but only managed to grab him as he hit the floor. His ear hit the metal bed frame and made a bruise. It swelled up a bit on the tip of his ear and behind it, but by the time I got the camera to record this mishap, he had forgotten about it, was running around like usual and would not hold still for a second. So that's why the picture is lousy! Hmmm . . . I'm not sure why I'm blogging about this . . . it's just the 'latest news' in the Monks' house I guess! It's always something.

Have it YOUR way!

So, what do we do to fill the time while Daddy is away? Do we organize the house, work on family history, learn Sanskrit? Nah. We go to Burger King!
The boys had a great time, of course. Brian likes to find a space where he can run back and forth. Each time he is ready to sprint, he yells "Ready! Set! GO!" Clayton just loves to climb around and play at the kiddie area. Is it just me, or is Brian's smile below a little on the 'devilish' side?

Movie Moments

Brian's current favorite movie is 'The Incredibles'. Here he is acting out one of the scenes- the police mistake the superheros for burglars, and point guns at them telling them to "FREEZE!" Brian screams "FREEZE!" and points his water gun . . . at himself. I have tried to correct him, but he persists. I think we'll need Daddy or Grandpa Monks to teach Brian a little 'firearm safety'.Maybe it's because he is yelling "FREEZE!" that this second photo turned bluish?? What is up with my dang camera?

And now for Clayton's movie moment. This one's especially for my mom! A few days ago we watched 'Toy Story 2', and in one of the scenes the (toy) cowgirl Jessie is describing her former owner Emily. A beautiful song sung by Sarah McLachlan plays, called When Somebody Loved Me. It is such a sweet song, and I nearly tear up during that scene. Well . . . it so happens that Clayton finds that particular scene HILARIOUS. He laughs his head off. Here are two videos of him:





Good ol' Clayton. Just call him Mr. Sensitivity.

Oh, and one more moment of Clayton's today. He was pushing his plush rubber fire truck around the floor- with his face. When he saw me take his picture, he picked up the truck with his teeth and grinned at me (can you tell?). Typical Clayton: do something completely nuts involving biting, but be so darn cute that you make it look adorable.

My Kids in Five Words

I thought this was a cool tag! Really made me stop and think . . . and appreciate both of my kids for who they are. Anyone with kids, try it out!

Brian:
1. Smart! (there is way more going on in this boy's head than he usually lets on. He has a great memory, and is an amazing problem-solver).
2. Funny (okay, I think Brian just has the best sense of humor! He will sneak up behind me and tickle me out of the blue, and he seems to 'get' jokes that I wouldn't expect a three-year-old to get. He's cool.)
3. Helpful (It is so nice to have a kid who is able/willing to try and help me a bit- fetching shoes, picking up toys, any little bit helps)
4. Stealthy (he knows how to be quiet and sneak around . . . usually he's reaching for the camera to play with, or getting into some treat he's spied in the kitchen)
5. Shy (he has a hard time with new situations sometimes and never talks much, but once he knows what to expect he does great!)

Clayton:
1. Goofball (he is so silly, giggly and just plain goofy)
2. Sweet (he gives me dozens of hugs every day!)
3. Cute (he is chubby and smiley, and has ridiculously long eyelashes. Makes for one cutie-patootie!)
4. Easy-going (Brian tends to be more high-strung, but Clayton is not! He is easy to entertain, does not mind strangers, and seems to have very little stress/anxiety)
5. Physical (whatever the problem/situation is, Clayton approaches it physically. I think it's because his communication skills are delayed. Whether it is climbing on me to get my attention, or climbing the table to get some Goldfish crackers, he finds a way to make it work)These are some other old pictures- but I love them! Clayton's shirt says "It's my brother's fault". What a chunko. Anyway, that's Brian and Clayton for you. They are so different, and I learn a lot from each of them!!

Swing Kids

Above is just a video of the boys on the swings at the park this afternoon. Not the greatest quality video, but you get the idea. And yes, that is Clayton squealing.

Below is Brian crossing the chain-link bridge at the park all by himself! He has been slightly obsessed with this bridge for months- he wants to cross it over and over, but has always had to have me on the side holding him. But yesterday I looked over at him- and he was walking across solo! So I had to tape him today. He was pretty proud of himself. Yesterday as he crossed the bridge he kept saying "It's heavy! It's heavy!" I had thought he knew what 'heavy' means, because he always says it when he picks up something heavy. But maybe he thinks heavy means 'hard to do'? No matter. Way to go Bri-man!

No, we don't have mice . . .

It's only Clayton. And these pics are just the tip of the iceberg. He still chews on anything and everything- aren't they supposed to grow out of this phase soon?? Any suggestions?Here are a few pictures of Clayton's 'biting history'- again, just a drop in the bucket.

Our little monkey!

Clayton likes to play with his toys lying on his back, holding them with all fours! His feet are freakishly strong- he can remove his shoes and socks with just his feet. And he can grip toys with his toes! He is my monkey man. Below is an old picture of him- he used to make a 'monkey face' when he was really excited about something:

Tubby Time

Sorry if these posts are getting boring lately- they are pretty mundane, but I want to keep Andrew in the loop. Anyway, these are the boys in the bath the other night! They love love love bath time. And HATE to get out of the tub. I'm not sure why, but our camera gave Brian's picture a really strange tint- I promise he is not turning blue.

Basket Boy

Last night after bath time the boys wandered out to the living room, so I brought their pajamas out there. I went to send a quick email, and when I turned around 2 minutes later Clayton had put the laundry basket on the couch all by himself and climbed in!
So of course I had to snap some pictures. Clayton loves to be in a cozy space- this is a new one though. What a nut. Oh, and here is the other nutty kid, ready for bed. Brian does this often with pictures- either he gets embarrassed, or he thinks it's really funny to close his eyes when Mommy wants to take a picture!

Do the Math . . .

Tonight I've been reminiscing about teaching math- it started at Taco Bell drive-through. I gave the kid exact change, and it took him about 5 minutes to put the coins in the right containers. He was looking at that cash drawer like it was the Rosetta Stone. It made me wonder about the fate of some of my former students- I'm sure that some of them are working at Taco Bell's tonight, trying to remember which coin is five cents. Sigh. But I'm equally sure that some of them are doing great (I can prove it- a couple of their blogs are linked to mine!)- and happily, those are the ones who are more likely to keep in touch!

One of the things that was hardest for me as a math teacher was the DEEP-ROOTED belief of so many parents that people are either good at math or bad at math; and that is how you will be forever and ever, end of story. I don't buy that for a minute. Rolling your tongue is a 'natural talent'- solving quadratic equations is a skill that anyone can learn. And how do you learn something new? Be it speaking French, riding a skateboard, or changing diapers . . . you practice!!!
So, please don't ever tell your kids that they "don't have the math gene", because they will believe you! As the daughter of an English major and an Art major- I guarantee that genetics can be overcome. Don't get me wrong- math comes easier to some people than it does to others. So does riding a skateboard. But being one of the people who was TERRIBLE at math at age 11, I know that anyone can learn it.

Of course, it does help to have a halfway decent teacher. Whenever people found out I was a math major/teacher, they would immediately say, "Oh, I had the best math teacher!" or "Oh, I had the worst math teacher!". Their feelings about math are strongly tied to the teacher they best remember. Math is like a different language- and if you can't relate to your 'interpreter', it's tough. But having had dozens of different teachers/professors and having taught thousands of students, I know it can be done!

Brian is already getting my hopes up . . . he absolutely loves to count, and loves shapes. The best way for me to get him to pick up toys is to count them together as we toss them in the bin. Could he be a future math major??

All Aboard!

We got a new wagon! We did not exactly need it (yet) of course- but let me explain why I bought it. This wagon is called the 'Choo Choo Wagon', made by Step 2. They made it years ago, then discontinued it. But demand was so great that they are now making them again for a limited time only. However, the cost is $50 per car, plus $30 shipping (you can only buy them online). So this one would have been $180 . . . except for craigslist! Oh craigslist, how I love you. Not only did I buy this entire wagon for $60, but I sold our red wagon on craigslist too! Which took all of 5 minutes.

Anyway. These wagons are really REALLY hard to find used- so when I saw this one posted, I knew I had to get it! Even though our third kid is not even here yet. But the orange cart is detachable- although we've left it on for now; it's been so fun with our boys plus a friend! Also, this wagon is actually easier to steer than our red one, and the kids can't bug each other. And it may be the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life.
Here is Adam in the caboose, then Brian, then Clayton.

Oh, and just a point of interest- you can have up to 5 cars total on this wagon!! Cool, huh? So, if any of you ever find out you are expecting triplets, quadruplets, etc- you should buy it. The guy in Kingfisher I bought this wagon from has triplets! How dang cute would that be- triplets cruising town in this? But not for me- I am more than okay having just one at a time. And I think our three little ones will be plenty cute in the wagon.

Here are some pictures of fun times at the park tonight- we took Adam and Ava with us and had a blast!

LONG day!

Yesterday was a long, busy, yet productive day! We picked up Brian from preschool, went out to lunch as a family and then took Brian to the Brady's house, then drove to OKC. We took Andrew to the airport, then drove to St. Anthony's for Clayton's hearing tests. Some of you might have noticed that Clayton does not talk at all yet; so his pediatrician reccommends ruling out hearing problems. We had actually tried one of the same tests here in Enid- but the results were not useable. Happily, the two ladies at St. Anthony's were amazing with kids, did a great job, and got some good, measurable results. And his hearing is fine (as I'd suspected). So now it's on to a speech evaluation today. I hope all these tests will figure something out . . . or give us an idea of what to do to help Clayton.

Anyway, after that we headed home. Brian did great at the Brady's house. Andrew called from us and said his flight went fine. Long day for all four of us!


Oh, and these pictures have nothing to do with this post. They are old pictures I just found, and I just liked them! My three boys having a tickle-match.

Now you see it . . .

But soon you won't! Due to Andrew leaving soon for survival training, we will be making our blog private for a few weeks. Part of survival training is an interrogation simulation, and the interrogators will search the internet for information about you, and try to mess with your mind. Weird, right?

So, if you would miss our blog for a few weeks and would like to continue reading, send me an email or leave a comment with your email address and I'll put your address in so you can login and read it. Otherwise, we'll see ya at the end of the month.

Anyway! I'm trying to think positively about these next three looonnnggg weeks. I'll be glad when it's over. I'm going to try to keep busy by getting things ready before we move- time to get rid of some junk!

To end on a happy note, here is a GOOD picture of Brian! I think it's the second time in the last 7 months he has smiled for the camera. Sigh. Sometimes I think Andrew and I are the only people who know what a cute smile he has! He can be laughing his head off one minute- but if I point the camera at him, the smile vanishes. Silly Brian.

School days, school days

Today was the boys' first day of preschool! Clayton goes one day a week, Brian goes twice a week. Each day is just 2 1/2 hours- just a chance for them to spend some time with other kids and have some fun. Here are the boys this morning before we left:
Clayton was delighted with all the cool toys to play with! He did awesome! I tried to take a picture of him with his teacher, but he did not want to stop playing for even a second.
Brian took a few minutes to warm up- it's a new place for him to get used to, plus since it's the first day the room was packed with parents, and very crowded. But after a couple minutes he felt right at home!

After dropping the boys off at preschool Andrew and I headed over to Dr. Ferguson's for my appointment- we got to see an ultrasound! The baby is moving a lot and measuring just right. The doctor said there was a slim chance we could find out the gender today- but the baby was turned wrong and not cooperating. Little twerp! But I'm sure we'll get to see him/her next time, in about a month.

Then we went out to breakfast and ran a few errands- it was like a date! So much fun. Then we picked up the boys from preschool- they both did great. I think it'll be hard for me when Brian starts kindergarten. I miss them enough after 2 1/2 hours- a whole day will be so sad! But it's also pretty cool to see your kids growing up and learning about the world around them.