You are really enjoying both daycare and pre-school - you will randomly start singing songs and saying expressions that I know you learned at school.  You do not really talk a lot about Children's Day Out though - little bits and pieces of information come out at various points throughout the day.  Nancy drops you off and Mama picks you up every Tuesday and Daddy and Poppy take turns picking you up on Thursday's.  On Tuesday's, Mama takes the rest of the afternoon off and we hang out at home - on Thursday's, Daddy and Poppy have to take you back to Nancy's to finish the day there so they can get back to work.  When I pick you up, your teacher always has fantastic stuff to say about you - "He is such a sweetheart."  "He really behaves great."  "He does perfect!"  That makes me so proud of you; sometimes you can be a little stinker, so I was a little worried.  Ha! ;)  On the drive home, I always ask you what you have for snack, what songs you sang, who you played with, what books you read...you typically only answer the snack question and then answer the rest with a "I don't know."   It really is the same for daycare too - I ask what you ate for lunch, "I don't know. Nothing."  Who did you play with today?  "No one."  You are just stubborn!  :)  Like I said though, then there will be moments when you will start singing an adorable song, or you will tell me about the dinosaur picture you painted, the yummy graham crackers with frosting that you ate...it lets Mama know that you are enjoying yourself.

This past weekend, most of the family went to Wichita to visit Uncle Dave and Aunt Sheena.  Daddy could not be there because he was playing in a softball tournament, Kendalyn could not be there because she had a friend's birthday sleepover to go to, and Uncle Ezra had to work.   We got there about lunch time so we started our fun day eating a lot of pizza at CiCi's - YOUR FAVORITE!!!!!  You ate three pieces of pizza and a cinnamon roll - little piggy.  Aunt Sheena had a surprise planned - we were going to Tynaknaga Wildlife Park - Talk about AMAZING!!!!!!  It is an interactive zoo about fifteen minutes outside of Wichita.  I bought you a wrist band which allowed you some of their "premium experiences."  You fed a giraffe; talk about neat.  Mama held you up so you could pet her neck and the giraffe licked your head; you laughed and laughed.  We then fed lemurs - the monkey grabbed your hand and pulled it closer to take the food out of it; we fed lorikeets - one landed on Kassidy! You were all set to go on a camel ride with Aunt Sheena, but in typical Lathan-fashion.....you panicked at the last minute and cried!  So Mama and you just watched Kassidy and Sheena go for a ride on Charlie the Camel!  You got to pet kangaroos - and we even saw two mama kangaroo's with their babies in their pouches!  All of you kids really loved feeding the bunnies and the gigantic tortoise's; the tortoises got a little aggressive though - they kind of worried Mama, so I had you stand outside by me.  They were climbing on top of each other and using their fins to hit one another...seriously!  Kind of nuts! :) You fed and pet llama's and also went on a little train ride pulled by a llama.  It was genuinely a perfect day!  Daddy was very sad he missed it though - but we sent him lots of pictures (to make him even more jealous!) :)

You are in a really clingy Mama-Boy phase right now - Mama does not really mind AT ALL!  Every night you want me to put you to sleep and cry and cry if Daddy wants to lay down with you, I am the only one that can brush your teeth, get you dressed, take you potty, etc.  "No, Mama do!" or "Mama's turn!"  You always tell Daddy that you want to "take turns" with who puts you to bed...but somehow it is always "Mama's turn." Breaks Daddy's heart....but makes Mama's heart smile! Hehe.

When you grow up you want to be a race car driver.

Your favorite colors are blue, orange, and green. 

You are going to marry mama someday in our church (when asked where daddy would be...you told him he could go to Wichita.) 

Your favorite food is pizza!

Your favorite tv show is Dino Dan!  (T-Rex is your favorite dinosaur.) 

Your favorite song is the Planes themesong. 

You say your best friends are mama and daddy. 

Your favorite toys are cars - especially remote controlled cars. 

"I love this fruit cockatoo!" (Fruit cocktail) 

While holding your finger under your nose "I have a mustache question." (I mustache you a question...)

You wanted to wear a certain pair of Lightning McQueen underwear to bed. I found one but apparently they weren't the right ones:

"Mama, those are really really great and I love those a lot...but I don't want to wear them tonight."

"I have a lot of trigger bites!" (Chigger bites)

"Someday I'll be big like daddy - and then I'll be bigger than you Mama. That means I will be your big brother and I will protect you."

"Kambree sure is beautiful...especially that day in the church!"  (David and Sheena's wedding.)

You are obsessed with dinosaurs right now...when telling Mama about a Dromaeosaurus, I tried to repeat it and could not pronunciate it.  "Mama....say DROMAE (Pronounced like Dromey) now say ASAURUS."   I could not help but crack up inside at my little three year old teaching me pronunciation of dinosaur names. 

You run really fast because you have rockets on your feet.

Nancy has a stuffed giraffe at daycare with a long tail - you told Nancy that she had to cut that off because you could not teach Bristol (a 5 month old little girl at daycare) that giraffes have tails when they really do not.  Nancy told you that giraffe's do have tails and to look for them at the zoo.  When we walked up to the giraffe's at the zoo you said "Ugh, I messed up!!!!"   :)

You went to a workout class with Mama the other night - you sat and watched for about 25 minutes. The other 45 you were participating beside me - you sat on my workout bench and attempted tricep dips with me - you very loudly told everyone that "you were my BEST FRIEND!"  :)  Yes, little man.  You certainly are my best friend. 

Dromaeosaurus

 

Today was your FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!!!!!!  So proud of my big boy!  Tuesday was your sneak peek - that was when daddy and I went with you to your school for an hour. We met your teacher, had a snack, played with your friends, and went outside and played on the playground equipment. You wore your Lightning McQueen backpack and couldn't have looked any sweeter. Your teachers name is Mrs Drehere and her assistant is Mrs. Stewart. Afterwards, mama and daddy took the rest of the day off and we went out to lunch with you and then bought all of the school supplies that you needed. We spent the rest of the day cuddling and playing. 

Today was your first day without moon and daddy there. We were pretty anxious about dropping you off - I didn't know if you would cry...and honestly, I didn't know if I would cry too!  However, you and I were both very brave and no tears were shed. We dropped you off at nine - we walked you in and gave you the biggest hugs. You then said you were ready to play with your friends and teachers... So off you went. There's "observation windows" where we can watch you play and you can't see us ... So we stood there and watched you play at the sensory table for a while.  I am just so proud of you and the big boy that you are. Although it is every parents goal to raise successful and well-adjusted independent children, the fact that you are so grown up does break my heart a bit. 

Daddy and I picked you up at 1130 and you were all smiles. You told us that you played outside and are frosted graham crackers. We took you to Toys R Us to get the remote controlled car that you've been begging for a while and then met Poppy for pizza.  I would say you have had a pretty special day!  :) 

I'm so thankful that I have the job that I have now bc I do not have to miss anything in your little life anymore. God has truly blessed us with you and I am so thankful everyday!  We are so proud of you my darling!!! 

A lot of big boy changes are coming your way!  :)  One exciting thing that has happened within the past few weeks is that you have a BIG BOY BED!!!! Daddy and I (Ok, Daddy did all the work, Mama just came up with the ideas and bought the stuff) worked really hard on a Lightning McQueen Room!!! You have a big Lightning McQueen bed with headlights that actually turn on and off, you have fun signs everywhere (Stop signs, caution signs, route 66 signs) you have a traffic light for a lamp.  Daddy painted a new dresser for you red and black to look like a Craftsman Toolbox, and Daddy painted your white pocket book shelves to look like checkered flags!  You have checkered flag curtains in there too.  When you saw them you screamed "Checkered flags - here I come!!!" (What McQueen says when he's winning a race.)  You were SO excited about your big boy room.... Mama and you took a nap in your bed....once :)  Haha.  We kind of expected that you wouldn't be quite ready to leave Mama's pillow and Mama and Daddy's bed...but at least you have your own special space for whenever you are ready.

Daddy and I went to your preschool orientation last week to over the policies and the handbook.  Then the three of us go on September 1st for a sneak peek and then on September 3rd will be your first day!!!!  I am so excited for you.  You will only be going Tuesday and Thursday from 9-1130 but I think that will be perfect for you to get a taste of school and really enjoy yourself.  I find it so hard to believe that my baby boy is starting preschool.  I am just not ready for you to grow up.  I find myself looking at you all the time in awe at how tall you have gotten or how you don't look like a baby anymore.  You look like a little boy.  Breaks my heart but happy for you to be so healthy and thriving as well.

You continue to melt our hearts on a daily basis.  You will randomly tell me "Mama, you are my best friend EVER!"  Or you will just say "I love you so much."  for no reason at all.  Well today, you had spilled your water over on the coffee table - Mama told you that you needed to go grab a towel and get it cleaned up since you made the mess.  You got one and wiped the table off completely.  I told you what a great job you had done!  You ran back into the kitchen and said "I would do anything for you guys."  It was just one of those moments when I know Daddy and my heart melted completely - we just looked at each other and were speechless.  We grabbed you up and gave you lots of hugs and kisses when you came back in the living room... you are just so special baby boy.

You had your first dentist appointment last week!  You impressed everyone!  You had the sweetest little attitude - all please and thank you's. You laid down perfect and held still the entire time while she cleaned your teeth. The dentist said they've never had anyone be so fantastic on their first visit :) 

We talked about your under bite - something that we will definitely have to watch. He said sometimes as people get older and their big boy teeth come in- they can come in different. If they don't - we will have to talk about braces. Mama and daddy both had to get them when we were older - so it's not the end of the world if you need to someday- but we will just watch them. We talked about starting to floss - and the hygienist tried but said you had a "very curious tongue."  Your little tongue would follow her hands everywhere. Haha. I know it's true because you just did the exact same thing to me when I just flossed them. ;) 

You currently have a summer cold - the other day at daycare you kept sneezing over and over and told Nancy that you had the "bless you's."  Good lord, could you be any cuter. 

Yesterday was your half birthday!!! I can not believe that you are 3 and a half - I still just find it so hard to believe.  The days and the years have truly gone by so fast and sometimes I seriously just want ot cry at the thought. Yes, 3 and a half is still a very young age - but I know that the next 3 and a half years will go just as fast.  And then the next three and a half years after that and so on and so on.  You already tell me that you are not my baby - you are a big boy.  Break my heart in a million pieces.  That is why I take all those extra special cuddle times, I love snuggling you in bed, I love carrying you around places, I love holding you, I will take every minute of it because I know there will be a time soon where I will not get that opportunity anymore. 

This was the first year that Mama was not off work to spend your half birthday with you - I did get off early and pick you up - but I did have to go to Washburn...I guess being such a new employee, I should actually go to work :) Mama got off and picked you up from Nancy's - I asked you what kind of cake you wanted (Duh, you know Mama bakes you half a birthday cake every year) you told me you wanted a cake with a big Spiderman on it.  "Well Lathan, Mama can not make a Spiderman cake... do you want chocolate, white, strawberry?"  "Spiderman.  If I can not have Spiderman then it is not my half birthday and I do not want a cake."   (You little brat, haha.)  So this was the first year that I did not bake you half a cake either... instead, Daddy ran to the store and picked you up a little store bought cake with a big Spiderman toy on top.  It said "Happy Birthday SpiderLathan" on it.  Kassidy and Kambree were over while Kendalyn was at her swimming lessons and so we sang "happy half birthday to you" and we all enjoyed a piece of your Spidey cake.  You were very excited.  I think you might be a little spoiled...not quite sure, but I kind of think so.)

This week you have been attending VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!!!!!!  It is not at our church - West Side Christian Church - but at the Shawnee Heights Church right down the street.  Kendalyn and Kassidy went last year and so I thought we would give it a shot this year.  You really are such a big boy!  Mama had student orientation at work on Monday so you missed the first day - but you went on Tuesday and had the time of your little life.  It is technically supposed to be for 4 year olds but I asked them if you could go and they said YEP!   It is softball themed....so it is right up your alley.  The first day Mama took you up there, you were hesitant to go until Kassidy took your hand and led you to the front.  Auntie and Mama sat in the back to watch for a few minutes - I had all intention of staying there with you the whole time though, of course.  So they started by singing two songs, doing a bible verse, and a short little teaching.  The songs are fun ones that you can dance to and have hand movements that go along with it - it made Mama's heart just so happy as I watched you sing and dance while learning about God and Jesus.  Mama was SO active in West Side Christian church growing up and it is really quite sad that our church is not the way it used to be - they do not have a very large child population so they don't do a lot of the activities with the youth that they used to do when Mama was younger.  Hopefully I can help change that.  I told Daddy that I wanted to talk to the church and see if I can help get a Vacation Bible School planned for next year.  Anyhow, I got completely side-tracked...so back to what I was saying....seeing you jump and dance around while learning about the Lord made me so happy (and Ma's heart so happy in heaven...she always wanted you to be raised in the church.)  After a few minutes, Auntie told me that I really needed to let you attend VBS on your own - so I thought I would just see how you would do knowing that I was leaving.  You blew me a kiss, waved me off, and told me you would see me later.  I have never felt so weird in my life - I have never dropped you off anywhere (besides Nancy - where you have been going now for years) but you really are such a big boy now. 

Each day in vacation bible school starts with singing and ends with the same songs - there is a bible lesson, snacks, and softball in between.  Today when Daddy and I dropped you off, the man asked us if you were left-handed....he said wow!! He hits REALLY good!  I do not think Daddy could have looked any prouder.  Haha.  Tomorrow, Friday, is the last day and you will put on a little concert and show the parents everything that you have learned.  It is family softball game night from 6-8 and we are just so excited to go with you. 

The other day you were riding in Daddy's truck and he said you were really paying attention to the sun on your arm...really studying it shining in.  Daddy asked what you were doing and you informed him that the sunlight turns on your powers and when the sun goes away...your powers go away.  You then told him that you had ninja turtle powers.  Good Lord your imagination has really taken off! haha.  Who knows where you come up with this stuff from.... all I know is I love hearing it! :)

So I have been at Washburn University for two weeks and I could not be any happier with the career move - my little Man gets to sleep in until after 7 now - a whole hour later than you used to!  Plus, we don't have to rush around and hurry - if I get to work at 8, great.  815, 830 - well that's ok too!  There have been a few afternoons where I got off at 1 and was able to go pick you up and lay you down for your nap ... this is just so fantastic! More time to be a MAMA!!!!


We had the 4th of July two weeks a go - we did our typical stuff.  Shot off fireworks on the 3rd and you really enjoyed watching every thing... you would walk out with us to light something but before we even got a chance to light it you were running away to watch the firework.  Safer that way.  :)  On the 4th, we went to Ma's grave and did some fireworks for her, then had everyone over in the evening for the typical BBQ/ swim party at our house.  Then, we went to Lake Shawnee to watch their big fireworks show...last year when we went, we went pretty far onto the West side of the lake which meant that traffic was insane....it took well over an hour for us to get home so we decided to stay on the East side of the lake this time.  We were home in two minutes afterwards...BUT we didn't have nearly the amazing seats that we did last time so it didn't really keep your interest like last year.  You hardly watched the show at all...but that's ok.  They were pretty far away and you are only 3 and a half years old...your attention span still struggles.


We have really been working on sharing lately - you struggle with that a lot. Only child syndrome.  You also have the highest and most SHRILL scream when you do not get your way...so we are working on that as well.  We try to explain to you that when you scream or just start crying, Mama and Daddy have no idea what you want... so "Use your big boy words" is a phrase that we use a lot these days. 


You are SUCH a sweetheart though...I think I say that all the time...but you really are.  "I love you SO much Mama" is something that I just can not hear enough and you wrap your little arms around my neck...life just can not get any better than that.  Sometimes during naptime, you ask mommy and daddy to lay with you and I just know that that is when you are the happiest in the world..when it is the three of us.  We are your world and you are ours.... so we lay down with you and you put an arm over each one of us and fall asleep.  Again, life just can not get any better than this.  :)


You are still incredibly picky when it comes to eating at home...pizza, waffles, hotdogs, pancakes, lunchables, peanut butter and jelly, chicken nuggets....that is pretty much your food staples.  Slightly better than it used to be because you will actually eat chicken and fruit now...but we still have so far left to go.  Nancy said you eat a lot for her though and at least try everything with one bite...not sure how the heck she gets you to do that because when I try to get you to at least try one bite...you clamp down your little jaw, and there is no changing your mind.


We bought a bicycle seat for Daddy's bike so you can actually ride on the back with us rather than be pulled in that bicycle wagon - you feel pretty neat up there.  We went on a ride the other night and you kept telling us how much fun you were having the whole time - after five miles, you were over it though.... time to go home. 


You are really enjoying summer - you love to ride your bicycle, go for walks, play on your swingset, swim in your pool, or play BASEBALL!  Gosh, you love baseball.  Daddy spends a lot of time throwing the ball to you outside and you do amazing hitting it....mama is your cheerleader and after you hit it, you run over to get a big hug from me on the sidelines.  You get so proud of yourself and we all cheer so loud for you.  :)


You still say Poopie way too much -  it somehow finds its way into almost every sentence you say.  The other day we were getting ready for work and daycare and out of no where you say "Mama, Kambree says Poopie all the time...I tell her No Kambree! We don't say Poopie - that is disgusting - but she still says it."  I laughed and laughed.  First of all, IF kambree does say poopie, its because she learned it from you.  Second of all, you are NOT telling her not to say it, you are encouraging it and probably saying it right along with her.  Haha.  You are always blaming poor kambree for everything.  The two of you have gotten pretty close though - the older she gets, the less the 13 month age difference between the two of you is noticeable. You love all of your girls, but I am glad that you are enjoying her so much now too.  You do fight like brother and sister though - that's what happens when you spend so much time together though.  You call them your sisters and they call you brother.  So cute.

In news not related to you - but a few weeks a go the USA decided to allow same sex couples to legally marry. It makes me so happy that you will be raised and not have to see that type of discrimination - it's something that will not affect us personally, but it is just a huge deal in general. It's definitely something that will be huge in the history books - just like the civil rights movement or equal rights for women - just one more step to equality for everyone. I just want he world to be a peaceful place for you - I know that won't be the case bc it's actually so evil...but this was a positive and good move towards a better world for all.