Spring is here. The weather has been in the 60's and 70's for the past few weeks- one day creeped all the way to 86!  You are loving it. We've had several afternoons at the park- you're such a little monkey there - climbing up the slide, climbing the ladders by yourself, Mr. Independent!!! One day you wanted to go climb the rocks at the lake (the dam) so we did just that. Once we got down to the lake you just wanted to stay and throw rocks into the water - I think it was a good hour before you got tired of doing that. Mama had a flashback of sitting beside Ma and doing that with her - her and poppy fished all the time and mama didn't like to fish...I would just sit there throw rocks in the water like you were doing. It made mama get sad - those memories of a happier time pop into my mind and remind me that there was a time that I wasn't motherless. Do you know how when you fall down and up run to mama to make it better?  That feeling of wanting/needing your mama never goes away...no matter how old you are. Someday, you'll understand. Mama will always be here for you though - you'll always be my baby boy! 

Easter was last weekend - it was different but nice. Uncle Ezra, auntie, and the girls spent the weekend in Wichita - typically, we would all be together, but not this year. Daddy has been really busy with side work so we couldn't go to Wichita for the weekend, Poppy wanted to spend it with GG (his mama) so we all were split up for the day. That morning, we woke you up and told you the Easter bunny had came! You were so excited as you ran through the house collecting all the eggs- you thought it was so funny that the Easter bunny out eggs in your toys!  You found your Easter basket and all of your goodies - a kite, flowers to plant, flip flops, fun water bottles, socks, tons of candy, and lots more!!!  You (and me) ate so much candy that candy that morning...and then we headed off to church.  Church - well, you're still a work in progress. At one point you were laying on the ground spinning in circles, you dropped the hymnal on the floor about 100 times- landing on grandma bye's foot once, while listening to the sermon...you very loudly and excitedly whispered "Jesus has risen! Mama! Jesus is back!"  Soooo church wasn't the greatest. Jonny's was nice though - they had an Easter egg hunt for you and Malachi - of course that was a race for you!  Although, you realized he was moving much slower so you did grab some eggs and out them in his basket!  So sweet. You ended up with so so so much candy!!! They had a huge lunch over there but we didn't eat... Auntie was headed back to town and we were going to have a late dinner and egg hunt at Poppy's house.  Dinner was very nice...you were very happy to see the girls and hunt eggs in the backyard with them. The plastic eggs were full of candy and money or as you say "treasures for your piggy bank."  The Easter bunny brought you a tackle box filled with candy and various goodies...now you're ready to fish!!!! 

Mama turned 30!!!! Eeeeek!!!!!  We didn't do a whole lot- I didn't work so we slept in (to 730) and cuddled in bed watching cartoons. Auntie and Kambree came over to play and then we all went to meet poppy, Debbie, and grandma bye for lunch. I'm at the age where hanging out with you and visiting with family is my ideal day. So my 30th birthday was quite relaxing!  

Mama took a leap of faith and applied for a career switch. On my birthday; the Washburn University radiation therapy program director emailed me and told me there would be a job opening in the program. She said the hours are really flexible and she thought it would be a great job for me that way I could be available for your future school events. Mama wants it SO SO SO bad ; I don't want to work out of town, traveling all over, having you in daycare so many hours, etc etc. This would be a great opportunity for our family and I just hope that this happens for us - whatever's supposed to happen will happen though. Mama should know by next month. Fingers crossed and prayers!!!! 

"Daddy, when you're at work...I miss you so long!" 

I just love how you put sentences together -  You have your own sense of Time - every thing is tomorrow or in two minutes. "Summertime is tomorrow." "Poppy's taking me fishing tomorrow."  You don't really understand the actuality of tomorrow - but in your mind, that is when every thing happens.  "Two more minutes" is your bargaining line - two more minutes of playtime, let me stay up two more minutes, two more minutes of tv, etc. Two minutes! 

I know someday you will grow up and talk like a big boy. For now, I will smile at kassawee instead of Kassidy, bunny instead of funny, baba instead of mama, credabull instead of incredible, and all those other adorable words that you say. I love you lathan. Oh so much. 

Fishing Fun

You are quite the little story teller - the other night you told me Auntie was coming to pick you up to go eat pizza. You were so believable I actually had to call Auntie to see if I had forgotten something...haha. She said that she would love to do that with you soon but she just couldn't that night. Almost every morning you tell me that you and Poppy were going to go fishing and have so much fun. So now that the weather has been nice, we went fishing Wednesday after work. Although none of us had any luck...you had a great time!  You "casted" over and over and tried to catch a big fish. We were bass fishing - which is when you literally cast and reel the entire time - probably not the best thing to teach an inpatient toddler...now you'll only want to fish that way. Cast and reel, cast and reel. Oh well, no fish but it was a great time sitting on the dock in the sun!  Better luck next time little buddy!!!  

You have a bruise on your back - you call it your "bruiseter" (one of the trains on Disney's Chuggington is named Brewster- I think you have just gotten confused." ;)

List of toys that goes downstairs with us, goes in the car to daycare with us, goes to bed with us:

(Disney car characters:) Three Lightning McQueens, Mater, King, Brush, Mack Truck

Mario Car

(Disney Planes Characters:) Two Dusty's, Peter [actual name is Skipper but peter is what you named him] LeadBottom, and RipSlinger

Whew. Loading mama's pockets with five million toys five million times a day is hard work....but what's even harder is keeping track of five million toys every day. Lord knows if one comes up missing... nighttime will be a NIGHTMARE!!!!  Mama comes in to bed every night and feels around on the bed beside you to move them all...so we can do the same thing the very next morning. You love your toys! 

Another weekend down - Sunday evenings always give me the blues. I love the weekends with you, I love sleeping in with you- just this morning you woke me up by kissing my nose. Talk about a sweetheart. Daddy had to work this weekend, so it was just you and me Kid. Yesterday, we hung out with Poppy and today we spent the day at Grandma Bye's with Debbie and Rodney. Our weeks are so busy that we don't always get to see too many other people - we like to take advantage of the extra time when we can. Poppy drive us around to run errands yesterday - weatherman was calling for a blizzard...We might have gotten two inches and it's already melted. Ha. Oh well, I felt safer with him driving. Grandma Bye had the greatest afternoon with you - you two played "river monster" and she would capture you and you would have to break free. You wore her out! I love that you love her so much - I know that you would love Ma - it still stings so much that she doesn't get to really know your ornery little self. Of course, she's always watching and she's always with us...but I just wish that she would be here to enjoy these moments in person.  They all got a kick out of you today - Rodney was really impressed with your vocabulary. :) 

You and Daddy were neighborhood snow patrol this weekend. You always want to be Daddy's little helper, or as you like to call him "partners". The two of you decided to go shovel our driveway, Cheryl's, and Koty's. You told Mama to stay inside where it was warm.  Such a tender heart. 

You have gotten quite into the movie -Disney Planes; Go figure, another racing movie!  Every thing is a race with you - we have figured that is the way to get you to do stuff- we race you!  Every morning, we race each other while brushing our teeth, (you always win) we race you to get dressed (you always win) we race you to finish your food (you always win) :) Whatever it takes to get done with your daily rituals!  You are becoming such an independent little boy - you like to put on your socks and shoes by yourself, you like to go potty by yourself (we do the wiping of course haha), you like to climb in the car and car seat yourself, Mama is always standing there and ready to help at anytime...I'm not quite ready to let go of the baby reigns. 

Hopefully in the next few weeks, we get to start re-decorating your room. You want a Lightning MCQueen room with a big racecar bed.  Daddy and Mommy are working hard to pay off our debts so we are budgeting your remodel- there's really no rush because we know you sure won't sleep in it. You've already told me, you are planning on sleeping with "Baba" (mamA). When we ask you whose room ours is, you say "Baba's," Daddy asks "who else?" You reply "me." "Who else?" "Baba." Haha, not poor daddy. You told us that his room is downstairs. He's been banished to the basement. ;)

We have not done a lot of exciting things lately - we have spent a lot of time staying indoors avoiding the colds and flus, or trying to recover from the colds and flus we all caught anyways. It's been a tough winter for illnesses.  I have been working hard on your numbers and letters - you can recite the alphabet, but only recognize a few of them.  I think you're right on track for your age though - if not advanced. So Mama needs to relax. :) 

Sometimes my heart feels overwhelmed - like it is just going to burst with love for you. The other night, you and I were in Mama's bedroom dancing to "Ma's chemo bear."  (She bought me a bear that sings "I hope you dance" - her favorite song for her kids...she said the lyrics were just perfect. She found the bear at the cancer center so it has a chemo turbin on...it's adorable."  Anyhow, you were listening to the bear sing the song and we were dancing around like ballerinas together - you took my hands and started singing it. I instantly started to bawl. I am not sure if it was because it was such a special moment dancing with my baby boy, or if it was because you were singing Ma's song...I'm sure it was the combination of the two...but my love for you felt like it was going to burst our of my heart. I just picked you up and squeezed you with a big hug. 

Well...I am the proud mama if a big three year old!  Enter sad face here!!!  :( I can not believe it has been three years since I held you for the first time, since you stole my heart and changed my world completely. Time is just going by too quick. I am so proud of who you are and who you have become...I just wish it would slow down. We celebrated your birthday last weekdnd ; Uncle Dave and Aunt Sheena were only available on that one Saturday so we scheduled it so they could come. His medical school schedule is so hectic, I am so thankful he makes time for family; they drove from Wichita for your party and that was it. Talk about being loved!!!! :) we had a huge, ridiculously over the top Lightning McQueen party - you know Mama can't keep parties in moderation! Sadly, over half of your party guests were unable to attend due to illnesses; this winter has been just awful for the stomach flu and the imfluenA virus- the flu shot is actually not working because the flu strain is immune to the vaccine. It's been a tough season- thank goodness Christmas has been your only illness setback so far. Anyhow, even though it was a small party...you had a fabulous time!  The weather was actually 60 degrees so you and your friends and your girls played outside for a long time afterwards.  Daddy worked so hard to make a photo booth for you and your friends - it was so adorable!!! 

After everyone left your party, Mama and Daddy gave you your birthday present- a new lightning mcqueen bike!! We waited until people left because I always feel like we are bragging or trying to show off what we can afford; even though it is only a bike, I just still felt it was appropriate to do after your guests left. Anyhow, your bike is so big for you!!! The only options we had was a 12 inch or a 16 inch so we chose the larger one so you could use it longer. The bike has neat sound effects- you sit on it and we push you around...someday you'll learn how to actually ride it, but for now you think it's just pretty neat! 

I found a book Ma and Poopy bought you on your first birthday - she said she loved watching you grow up. It breaks my heart that was your only birthday she was here for - she was gone just a few months later. :( 

Mama took off on your birthday and spent the day doing your favorite things!  We couldn't actually go to too many places due to the flu epidemic, but Kambree came over to play, then we went to a pizza lunch buffet with auntie, Kambree, and poppy. You ate pizza until your little belly almost exploded, then we cuddled and watched the Lion King. After naptime, you wanted "chips and sauce" for dinner so we went and had Mexican food; they brought a huge icecream for the birthday boy! It was a perfect and relaxing birthday for you!  

Friday, daddy took off with mama and we hung out with our big three year old. We had your doctor appointment - she said you are obviously advanced, 83% for height, 21% for weight. We talked about your eating habits - she wasn't too terribly concerned but did say we should probably be a little more strict with making you at least try other things. We talked about your sleeping habits and she wasn't too concerned with that either - you'll sleep in your own bed eventually! Just enjoy the cuddles now! ;)