Virginia Beach

This week Doug had to be in Virginia Beach for a couple of days and so I decided to take the boys for a fun trip to the beach!  It was beautiful!  The beach was so clean and not crowded at all because summer was over. Tanner had a blast and would wake up every morning and say "I want to go to the ocean"!  He couldn't get enough.  He was a little afraid of the waves and the water, but loved running to it and away from it and everywhere else for that matter.  And he loved the sand...he would have played in it forever!  Not to mention Doug who would stay in the ocean all day if he could.  He is a fish!  It was a nice little trip to say the least!  

Gotta Love the Library!

We usually make a weekly trip to the Library because Tanner loves it!  If I mention that we are going to the library there is no hesitation...he has his shoes and is at the door.  He has always loved books and what better way to keep them exciting than to always be getting new ones! We take our bag and fill it up and this is what he does when we get home....kicks off his shoes and pulls every single one out....never fails!  

Our Little Champ!

This last month has been a crazy one.  It is weird that Jake is already 5 months old.  His little personality is definitely starting to come out more.  The last week or so I have been trying my hardest to get him to take a bottle.  With Tanner I always nursed and used bottles and I loved it and with Jake I started out that way and then there was a time when I went too long without doing a bottle and he went on strike!  After that he refused to take a bottle and I didn't know what to do.  Doug and I are going on a cruise at the end of October and we aren't taking the boys, so it was my goal to get Jake to take one.  It wasn't so much that he wouldn't drink formula, he just didn't like the bottle...even if it was my milk.  Long story short...He is a Champ!  It was a long, sometimes frustrating, week...but he did it!! YEAH!  He now takes my milk from a bottle, formula from a bottle, and can nurse!  I love it when they are so versatile!!

Why Cardon is the World's Best Technician!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This is just a little tribute to our great cousin Cardon!  He is an awesome technician and the customers love him!  He also knows an easy way to get rid of crickets!

Spiders and Garbage!

The one thing that completely stinks about this apartment complex in Virginia is that there is only one dumpster and it is in the middle of the complex which seems like a mini city (thats how big the complex is) and it's not really just a quick trip...especially with both the boys and a load of garbage.  Tanner loves loves loves taking out the garbage using one of the trucks.  Any chance to ride in a truck and he is all over it.  Todd looks so thrilled in this picture!  And I really don't know where the other picture of Todd staring at the spider came from, but I thought that it was pretty cool.  I should probably know what that spider is by now too, but I don't and I really don't want to know just as long as it stays as far away from me as possible!  Doug is always trying to put bugs on me because he knows that I will completely have an aneurism.   Once he tried to throw this nasty bug on me that we had never seen before and it bit his finger right before he put it on me and his finger killed all day!  Serves him right....he just likes to freak me out and then laugh about it.

Tanner's Real Birthday-So Easily Pleased!

We celebrated Tanner's birthday a couple of weeks early, but yesterday was the real thing so we still wanted to have a little fun.  I love that the simplest things please a two year old.  We got this thing in the mail from Toy's R Us (because apparently we are in the free to join kids club) and it says to come get a special treat at customer service and then gives you a $3 off coupon.  So that is what we did.....Customer Service gave Tanner a balloon and a crown (which he thought was the best thing ever) and then I let him pick out a toy so that we could use our coupon!  He loved every minute that I let him roam free in Toy's R Us.  It was fun to see him so excited in the car/truck aisle.  He ended up picking out a matchbox set....which he absolutely loves!

Jake and Tanner

Tanner trying to share one of his cars with Jake...so nice!

Tanner in his birthday crown!

He thought he was being so funny!

You be the Judge!

Since everyone has their own opinion, I thought that it would be fun to post a picture of both of the boys when they were 4 months old.  Of course the pictures are not that similar, but it is good enough to compare the Cardon features and the Brems features and then of course the combination of the features!  I couldn't find a picture of Tanner smiling when he was 4 months old...(I thought that was weird), but at least you get the idea!  

Do you like rocks?

This morning I took the boys to the park and when we got home and were walking in the house Tanner found a rock outside.  So when we get inside I lay Jake down on a blanket and go to the sink to wash my hands.  Okay...this is maybe 30 seconds but when I came back to the boys I see Tanner sitting next to Jake on his blanket, Jake wide-eyed and with the rock(a little smaller than a PING PONG BALL)in his MOUTH!!  I couldn't believe it!  Tanner was trying to feed Jake this rock!  I don't think that he was trying to be mean or hurt him and I should be grateful that he wasn't throwing it at him or anything like that, but I had to put him in time-out because I need to make sure that he doesn't think that he can just feed poor Jakey anything!! Tanner is always offering Jake his food and I keep trying to teach him that Jake is too little for food and that he just needs Mommies milk and that he doesn't have teeth like Tanner!  Apparently, it is not quite understood yet.  Poor Jake was helpless and had these puppy dog eyes like..."Mom...could you please give me a hand, I could use some assistance."  It was pretty funny.  

My two lessons learned:

1.Don't let Tanner bring rocks in the house

2.Don't leave the boys for more than 10 seconds...well, I guess just never leave the boys ever!!

Catching up!

Tanner devouring his apple!

After a couple failed attempts at rice cereal....Jake finally will eat it.  I don't blame him for not liking it.  It is so bland and nasty, so I am excited to start giving him a little flavor soon.  And then I am sure he will think..."Why didn't my mom just start with the good stuff!!"

I might just be going BALD!!!

Okay...ever since I had Jake my hair has been getting thinner and thinner.  I remember losing a lot of hair after I had Tanner, but this seems even more ridiculous!  Every time I blow dry my hair there are piles on the floor (well, maybe not exactly piles, but it sure seems that way)!  I feel like there is hair everywhere because it will not stay attached to my head!!  If it gets in Tanner's toes or caught on his fingers or something, he comes to me and says "Mom...I got yucks",  And I don't blame him...it is yucks, it grosses me out quite frankly.  And....for the record, I can wrap my hairthing around like 4 or 5 times to keep a good tight ponytail in.  It is crazy!!  I just hope it starts growing back soon or I am going to be completely BALD!

Where do you belong?

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

This may be somewhat true...but I don't know about the cappuccino...maybe a really good hot chocolate!:)

Happy 25th Melis!

Happy Birthday Melis!  I can't believe that we are 25!  I know, it's not that old, but it is still crazy how time flies!  I wanted to post the umbrella picture, but as you know all of my pictures are in storage right now, so Jonathan helped me dig up this one!  There are so many things to love about this picture....our matching SethPaine sweatshirts, my old old old tennis shoes(now everyone knows which one is me), Pauls hair, and of course Jonathans dinosaur backpack.  Anyways, I wish we could spend today together, but I guess that is what last weekend was for.  I know Kyle will make your birthday awesome!!  You really are the best twin/sister I could ever ask for!  I love you!

Kyle and Melis!!!

Of course we love love love visitors out here in the East, especially Melis and Kyle!  They flew in last Thursday night and were able to stay until Monday night!  Ohhhh...it was so much fun!!! We had a pretty relaxing time just hanging out, they got to do some sightseeing that they wanted to, we ate, went to the park with the boys, ate some more, went and saw the monuments, played Settlers of Catan (which quite frankly they are addicted too and after playing I might be heading in that addict direction), celebrated Tanners and our birthdays and just had fun!!! Tanner was in heaven having them here.  He absolutely loves them to pieces! It was really sad to see them go and Tanner really broke down....Melis and I just can't stand to be apart, but I am counting down the days until we are back in AZ!!! Yeah!!

Tanner's 2!!

We decided to celebrate Tanner's Birthday a couple of weeks early because Melis and Kyle were going to be out here.  His birthday isn't really until the 17th of September, but we figured that he didn't know the difference so it we would rather do it when some family was here.  It was funny because we realized that all of his friends out here in Virginia are adults and over age 20.  But he loves all "the boys" and so they all came over to celebrate his birthday.  We had a good time!

Tanner's Favorite Pasttime

Tanner will line his cars up periodically throughout the day.  I just happened to catch him doing it in a new place today.  This was just the beginning of usually a long line of all of his cars. (And if you are wondering, I told him I would give him jellybeans if he smiled for the camera....and he did!!:))

My first EBAY purchase!

I know what most of you are thinking....She has never bought anything from Ebay before?  But no...I haven't and I am proud to say that my Bumbo was my first purchase and a very smart and good purchase if I do say so myself. Everyone needs one of these.  It is the best invention ever and Jake loves it!!!

Clemyjontri Park

This picture doesn't do it justice.  It is just one side.

One of the four different types of swings there.

Don't forget that the park surrounds a full blown carousel that you can ride for $1.50.

Tanner loved the Monster Truck...I know he is not smiling, but he does that when the camera comes out...he is the hardest to get to smile for the camera unless I bribe him!

So this is the coolest park I have ever taken Tanner to.  Mary invited us to go with her last week because she knew that I would really appreciate this park.  It is awesome!!  It is a park that was specifically built so that children with and without disabilities could play together.  Everything is ramps and lower steps so toddlers have a much easier time getting around.  It used to be a private park, but then Fairfax County took it over and now it is open to the public.  My pictures do not even do it justice.  You have to look at the website.  I get so excited for things like this because I know Tanner just loves them.  We would be at this park all the time if it was a little closer.  It takes us about 15 minutes on the 495 with no traffic...so usually 20 minutes.  But it is well worth the drive.  

Clemyjontri Park