Just A Little Bit of Expression

When I got home from work I left my smock hanging on the back of a kitchen chair and there just happened to be a dry erase marker in the pocket. Jacob found the marker and decorated the front room with it. The marker came off of pretty much everything but the rock on the fireplace and the couch. That was lucky! Jake really should never have any type of writting utensil. He has also colored all over the walls in the basement in pen and marker and his dresser has crayon all over it, which now upsets him because it won't come off. Most of the time I don't know where he finds the markers or crayons. I think I have them all locked away and then more coloring is found on the walls, or some furniture, or a toy, or even all over a kid.

Making A Mess

One day I was trying to make dinner and the boys were getting into everything, as usual. They ended up in Jacob's bedroom and started playing in there. I thought if I shut them in the room they would just keep playing and I could get some things done. Well, they kept on playing and tore the room apart. Jake usually does this on his own, and he probably made most of the mess, but I know the other two helped. When I opened the door, this is what I found.

They emptied out everything! All the stuff in the drawers was on the floor, the clothes in the closet were pulled off the hangers and dumped on the floor. The hangers were on the floor too. Any toys that were in the room were scattered across the floor. This was fun to clean up. This wasn't the only time this had happened. It was just the only time I got pictures. They have done the same thing to Alex's room too.

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Couch!

I don't know where they got the idea from, but for some reason Jake and Alex decided to push the couches together and then jump on them. I often wonder how they accomplish the things they do, but Jake is pretty strong. Looks like they had a good time.

Even Spencer wanted in on the action.

But all he got was a cushion off of the couch. It was probably safer that way and he still had fun.

Perfectly Seasoned.....Couches

I suppose that the boys figured that our furniture was lacking in the flavor department and decided to spice the couches up a little. Jacob almost emptied the shelf containing my spices and dumped them onto the couches. Alex didn't want to be left out of the fun and decided to help. They put olive oil on the cushions, which I have yet to get out, and salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, chili powder, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon and liquid smoke. I'm not even sure of everything that they added, but it looks like they added some of their vitamins as well. This should make it healthier. If anyone wants to take a bite out of the couch now, I am sure it will be delicious! They also poured some mylanta into the mix, probably to help with the heartburn that would be sure to follow.

Alex Lost A Tooth

For about the last month, Alex has had a loose tooth. We have been trying to get him to wiggle it so it would come out, but he would just complain that it hurt. Then I noticed the new tooth was growing in behind the baby tooth. I told him that if he didn't wiggle the tooth and get it out then the dentist would have to pull out the baby tooth. It got to the point that Alex's baby tooth was just hanging there and Alex was having a hard time eating because it hurt. We told him it would be easier and his mouth would feel better if he just let his dad or I pull it out. Matt said he would pay Alex a dollar if he would let him pull out the tooth. He finally agreed. One would have thought we were pulling his arm off. Then Alex saw blood, which made things worse. I had him bite down on a damp wash cloth for a few minutes. After that, Alex was good and he said his mouth feels better too. The tooth fairy visited leaving Alex another dollar for the tooth. A bit of a tramatic experience, but hopefully the next time will be better.

Happy Birthday Jake!!

Jacob made it to his 3rd birthday, which is good. He can really be a stinker sometimes. On May 15th we celebrated him turning 3. The grandparents came over and we had cake and ice cream. This year he told me that he wanted a Spongebob cake. Spongebob has become one of his favorite shows. I have been working with him, trying to get him to say that he is 3, but he still says that he is 2. He thinks he is funny. He got clothes, a Cars book that has sounds, Buzz and Woody action figures, and some more animals and a truck. I think he had fun.

While Mom And Dad Are Away...

Not everything was calm on the home front while Matt and I were taking it easy in Las Vegas. Barbara watched them the first night. Jake acted like he was being all helpful getting a diaper so she could change Spencer's poopy one, but he had other motives. Like going into the bathroom and getting the bottle of aloe gel and dumping it onto our couch. Debbie watched them the second night in which Jacob broke our lamp in our family room and a magnet I made in home making. This happened while she was changing Spencer the first time and bathing Spencer the second. Jenny, my sister, had them the third night and I think they were all right for her except she got locked out of our house and it was snowing. Who would have thought it would be a blizzard at the end of May?!? One of our awesome neighbors was kind enough to break into our house so Jenny could get back in with the kids.

No More Calling The Doctor, Mom

Jacob went in for his 3 year checkup on May 17th, and what an experience that was!! I should have known it would be bad when I had to take Alex and Spencer with me as well, but it was worse than I even imagined. I tried to prep Jake for the exam by talking about it on the way to the appointment. He seemed good until the nurse tried to get his height and weight. He stepped onto the scale and got upset and stepped right back off. She finally got both by having Alex do it first but could not get his blood pressure or do the eye test. He was saying no and stomping his feet. When the doctor came in, Jake would not cooperate. He yelled no and stomped his feet and at one point ran out of the room. He was so angry. To top it off, Alex was not listening and Spencer was crying. By this point I was on the verge of crying. The doctor said that this behavior was beyond his area of expertice and refered us to a child development clinic. Can't wait for that. He will have to be evaluated by a doctor and a psyciatrist. I think I can safely say that Jake does not like the doctor. At least his imunizations are caught up and he didn't need any more shots.

And The Destruction Continues...

These kids are busy!! This week they have gotten into my nail polish twice!! I thought they would learn the first time after being in trouble, but I guess not. The first time there was polish all over my bathroom. It was on the floor, the counter, the toilet and the carpet it the hall. Nail polish now decorates Spencer's closet door and some of his carpet as well. They were also kind enough to dump out the nail polish remover I had left so I couldn't clean it up. Two days later they were at it again, only this time Jake emptied the polish into one of Spencer's toys. That was a little less messy, but I need to purchase a few bottles of polish and it is locked in a hall cabinet for now. I am sure they will be able to figure out how to get into the cabinet soon too since it is only kept closed with one of my head band elastics. For now I am just praying they don't get into that cabinet.

Hey Baby Let's Go To Vegas!!

I did not realize how badly I needed a vacation until Matt and I went out of to Las Vegas on the 21st of May. We went for the weekend with some friends, Matt and Crystal, and had so much fun. I felt so relaxed and had a great time. We didn't do a lot, but being able to sleep in was well worth the trip. We did go to the Coke store and tried different Coke products from around the world. For the most part the drinks were pretty gross, but it was fun to try. Until we tried Beverly. I don't remember where it was from but it was the worst thing I have ever tasted. We did watch the show outside the Treasure Island hotel. Wow has that changed. Definitely not for children anymore. We also went to the Bilagio where they have this chocolate store that has awesome chocolate and a giant chocolate fountain that I would love to stick my head under and drink. We walked a lot, which was probably good since we ate at the Cheesecake factory and I don't think that is anywhere close to being low in fat. Matt and I did play ping pong. He won 2 games and I won 1. On our way home we did see someone who got into an accident and a car that had been on fire and was completely black. Overall, it was just relaxing and enjoyable and I am already ready for another vacation!!

Concert Night

Last night Matt and I went to the Daughtry concert and it was so much fun! The first band was Cavo and they were pretty good. We could tell they hadn't performed much, but I liked their music. I think I will have to get their cd. The second band was Lifehouse. That was awesome! I had no idea they were performing too but it was great! The lead singer of Lifehouse walked out into the audience and up the stairs and was about 3 or 4 feet away from where we were sitting! Daughtry did great too. During the encore the lead singer for Lifehouse came out and sang with Daughtry. It was way good! I wish they had that song on a cd. They did "I'm Coming Home" together. I am so glad we got to go. I even got a cute hoodie. I know the bands are not his favorite, but I am glad he is willing to humor me. I loved it!!

Wanting A Pet

Who would have thought that a monkey would want to have a pet, but yesturday Alex asked for one. First he asked if I was allergic to cats. When I said yes, he asked for a bunny. When I told him that I was allergic to those too, he asked what I wasn't allergic to. Matt told him a fish. Now Alex wants to get a fish. Maybe one day, but right now I don't know where we would put a fish so that Jake would leave it alone. One day we are going to have to get a pet. I was good with my three little monkeys!

Cleaning With Chocolate

Jacob really likes to clean things. When he is done with his bath he likes to wash the tub. The other day we went to Pizza Hut and got these chocolate topped breadsticks with our meal. Yesturday Jake decided to take the rest of the breadsticks and scrub the tub with them. There was chocolate all over the bottom of the tub. As I rinsed out the tub, Jake kept saying "clean, clean." I'm not sure how well chocolate disinfects, but I guess he was trying.

Painting the Couches Green

I guess Jake felt like our green couches were not good enough the color that they are, so he took about 1/4 of a gallon of paint and dumped it on our couches that are around a year old. I cried. My nice sister helped me to clean them up, but there are still hand and foot prints that I have not been able to get out. I had been painting the playroom so when we moved Alex down the room wouldn't be so banged up. I ran to the bathroom and then Jake went to town on the couch. It is also on a table, the walls, a bunch of toys, on our love sac, and the carpet. He made it out of the room, down the hall and to the couch without spilling any of the paint though. He is so fast. I thought I locked the door when I left, but obviously I did not. It looks a lot better than it did when the paint first got dumped.

Caging the Animals

We have a fence! This year we decided that we needed to get a fence, if for nothing else, at least for my sanity. This is very exciting for me. Now the boys have a place they can play that they can't get out of and they really can't ruin anything. They have lots of room to run and play and get all of that energy out! They haven't gotten to go outside much since the fence has been up because the weather can't make up its mind, but the days they have been out there have been great! They love being outdoors and don't want to come back in. We have grass too that Matt put in last year. I am looking forward to the warmer months and just being able to be outside.

Spring?

Looking outside this morning I would have mistaken today for a crisp fall day rather than spring. The storm the night before left the outside world dusted with snow. I keep hoping that each snowfall will be the last for a while. My little monkeys need to be outside running around and getting their energy out. Hopefully the next few days the sun will come out and it will be warm.

Rough Day In the Jungle

So the other day I was busy doing something and I heard Alex and Spencer crying. Not being able to figure out why, I got frustrated. I sent Alex to his room to calm down. All he could tell me was Jake burned his mouth, but didn't say anything else. And I had no idea why Spencer was crying. Then I went into the family room and saw my planner all torn up and my keys with a thing of mace on it. Around the sprayer was wet. I asked Alex if that was what Jake sprayed at him and he said yes. I don't know why Jake did it. Maybe he thought he was being attacked or something. I could see that Alex's lips were a little swollen and Spencer's eye and cheek were puffy. I made Alex rinse his mouth out with water and put Spencer in the shower and let the water run on him until he stopped crying. Then the doorbell rang and I was expecting my brother and his family, so I ran to answer the door. When I got back to the bathroom Jake was in the shower with Spencer, fully clothed, and using the toilet plunger to dump water on Spencer's head. Yucky! One good thing is the mace was about 6 or 7 years old so it wasn't as potent, but I threw the mace away. If there was anything left in there I did't want my kids to get sprayed again. I guess I need to keep my keys out of reach too.

Spencer David

Spencer is the newest edition to our family and he has been a lot of fun in the short time he has been here.
We just celebrated Spencer's first birthday. I cannot believe how quickly the time goes. He is starting to walk, but it will probably be a little while before he is running with his big brothers. Spencer had no problem figuring out what to do with the cake! He loves food and is pretty good about eating anything we give him. He wasn't very interested in opening the presents and Jake took all his presents away so he really didn't get to play until the next day.
Here is the cake that Spencer got all to himself. I didn't think it would be so big, but oh well. I am sure he liked it. Spencer is kind of our little marshmellow because he is kind of round and soft. He is cute though and I love to hug and kiss him. He is interested in anything his brothers are doing. When the boys are wrestling with Dad, he tries to join right in. He is mellow compared to the other boys right now, but we will see how he is when he starts running around. He is starting to get into things more and being more determined, but he is also very patient, which is good since Jake is always getting into things. Whenever I am in the room Spencer thinks that I need to hold him. He had gotten very clingy, which I hope he outgrows soon. The other boys weren't that way. He likes to play pat-a-cake and blows kisses. He's got 8 teeth right now and is working on getting 4 molars. He likes to snuggle and is such a cuddly baby, even now. He likes to be srapped up in blankets and sung to. He also crawls around on the floor under our kitchen table looking for food that has been dropped on the floor. Who needs a puppy! Bouncing is probably one of his favorites. He has a jumper thing that he can bounce in for hours. He usually bounces until he falls asleep, then wakes up and jumps some more. We love having him in our family and we are looking forward to all the fun times we have ahead.

Jacob Matthew

Jake is our busiest boy. He is always into everything!! We have to keep everything locked that we don't want him to get into. He is also a climber. If he wants something bad enough he will find a way to get is. Jake is almost 3. He really likes Elmo, cars and trucks, trains and pretty much anything that is boyish. He is a tough kid too. He can run into a wall, bounce off, get back up and keep running. He likes to pull the cushions off the couch, pull stuffing out of anything that has a hole in it, and breaks a lot of things. He colors on the walls, puts holes in the walls and does it so fast no one sees him do it. He looks up to his big brother Alex and will copy anything Alex does. He also watches out for his little brother, Spencer and tries to take care of him. He has fed
Spencer chocolate muffins and dum dum suckers, painted him with lotion and gives him toys to play with.
Here is Jake finger painting with lotion. Lotion was on the walls, table, lamp (the lamp was broken by Jake later), the couch and the rocking chair. I think he had some on the carpet as well. Jake usually does things on a large scale.
Jake has also tried to make breakfast on a few occations. He cracked eggs into a frying pan. It was a big mess.
He loves to be chased, which makes diaper changing and getting him dressed a challenge. I love to hear him laugh. He is usually pretty happy, which is nice, but he also has a temper on him and can be very stubborn. He has been a little slow to want to talk, but when he has a big brother who talks for him, why would he need to talk? He is saying so many more words now and he has even been counting and saying colors lately. This makes me very happy. It will be interesting to see how he is through the coming years.

George Alexander

Alex is the oldest and a very bright kid. Sometimes I have to remind myself that he is only 6. He loves to talk and learn new things. He is very active and loves to learn new things. Transformers are one of his favorite toys, and he likes the Transformer cartoons. He loves his little brothers and is a great big brother. Recently he got his own bedroom, which has been great! He and Jake would spend all night talking and playing. I think he likes it.

Alex started kindergarten last fall at East Sandy Elementary and he is really enjoying it. His teacher, Mrs. Wright, is awesome and he loves her. Alex doesn't like to sit still to do his work and sometimes has a difficult time concentrating and Mrs. Wright has been trying to work with him. Every time I talk to her she is always happy and positive. There are very few days Alex has said he doesn't want to go to school. Up to now he has not missed a day, which I think is great! He is learning to read and write and is getting better every day. I think one of his favorite parts of school is recess, but who's isn't? He also likes doing centers, where they rotate and learn about different things like math, reading, writting, art, and listening.

In February Alex turned 6. He also had his first birthday party, which was fun, but a little crazy. I had never done a party before so I didn't quite know what to expect. Alex had fun and that was the important part. We played pin the nose on the snowman, had a marshmellow race and had a cake walk. The kids got to decorate goodie bags, then we had cake and ice cream. Alex's friends brought him nice gifts which he has enjoyed. His party was on Saturday. On Sunday we had the family come over for cake and ice cream. Alex wanted a building on fire with Elmo on top. I'm not sure where he got the idea from, but I think it turned out all right. I wonder what he will want next year....

Starting Out

I Have finally given in and decided to make a blog about the family. My little monkey have lots of funny stories that I think will be fun to share. Hopefully some of these stories will give someone a laugh. And everyone can know what it is like at our home.