Alex has pink-eye

So, we've been passing around the crud for weeks now. Harrison had pink-eye, then I had it three times (probably never got rid of it) and now Alex is fighting it. He's not a fan of the eyedrops, but I told him I have to put medicine in his eye because it's pink. He said, "No Mommy, I have blue eyes!"

Rub a Dub Dub...

There's POOP in the tub! Yes, you read that right. I was being uber-efficient mom last night and threw all three of them in the tub. Usually Harrison wants to take a shower but for some reason he wanted a bath last night. So, they were all playing well, splashing around. I got Ian out to dry him off first and then I noticed the suspicious floaters that were NOT toys! I wasn't sure who did it, but then Alex claimed it! He said, "I go poo-poo in the ba!" Harrison jumped out really fast! Alex wasn't in a hurry. I guess when it's your own brand...


GROSS!

Early morning musings...

by Harrison.

Ian woke up around 7 and I was up in his room feeding him. A little while later the big boys woke up and made their way out of their room. Sometimes, Alex will feel like he's being left behind by Harrison and will cry. Today, not only was he afraid of being left behind, he stepped on a toy in the playroom on his way. What a way to start a morning! So, he had two things to cry about. Harrison helped him into Ian's room so I could comfort him and he laid down on the floor and kind of fell back asleep. He's not feeling well, either.

Harrison says, "He's sort of an empty shell. That means he's very sad." Where does he get this stuff!

A few more pictures

Cake and monkey cupcakes were served.




Opening presents! Ian got some adorable jammies, clothes and some great new toys!




My independent eater. A first attempt at a spoon and cream of wheat.




The force is with him!

Happy Birthday, Ian!

Finally have the pictures downloaded! Ian's birthday was in the middle of the week, so we just had a normal day and evening with a little present opening before bed.

On Sunday we had a little birthday party for him with a monkey theme. Ian is a very inquisitive little guy. Translation: He's into EVERYTHING! His favorite activities include climbing up on the coffee table (if someone happens to leave something next to the table that will give him a leg up), climbing into baskets and boxes, raiding the pantry, and finding very small things to put in his mouth. He's quick to laugh with his brothers, and loves it when they chase him. He's not so crazy about it when they catch him, though. Anyway, with all of his antics, a monkey theme seemed to fit.





Big brothers loved helping!



The decor




The party-boy got a little sleepy half way through his party and needed a little power nap with Grammy.




The cake



Enjoying the cake!

Harrison the Snaggletooth

Harrison lost his 3rd tooth on Wednesday, which also happened to be Ian's birthday! He lost his first top tooth. His bottom two are out, and the two permanent teeth are already in place, or trying to squeeze into place. He doesn't like us to pull them, but instead waits until they fall out on their own and then he has bragging rights for "pulling" them.

Alex's First Day of School

We started off the morning with a little Dora on the couch and some breakfast. He was up and ready really early! Then we packed up our "Go Cars Pack Pack" and lunchbox and headed to school. He was very excited and when we walked into the room imediately dropped everything and went to the carpet where the teachers had "staged" the cars. I went and gave him a kiss, told him I'd be back to get him in a little while and he said, "Bye Bye, Mommy." By the way, he did take Do-Do to school, but he slept in his cubby most of the day.







In front of school



There couldn't have been a more perfect activity out and ready to go.

Ian walking!

I tried and tried to upload video, but it kept crashing. So, I give up and you'll have to settle for a still picture. Still pretty cute. This past weekend he mastered standing up on his own and taking off. He's now a full time walker! He likes to chase the boys around and for some reason picks up things that are WAY too big for him and likes to carry them around.





I caught him after he swiped this apple from Alex. He was hiding from me with it and munching away. He also had his first tantrum when I tried to take it away!

Funny!

The other day Harrison was talking again about what he wants to do when he grows up. He told me, "Mom, I know what I want to be when I grow up. A bond trader."

I said, "Really? And what do they do?"

"They just push papers around all day," he responded. Then, "Actually, that might give me a paper-cut, so it's probably not a very good idea."

We have a kindergartener!

Well, we are two weeks into kindergarten as so far all is well. Harrison really likes his teacher, Ms. Ellis and we like her too! He's meeting friends, likes P.E. and recess and this week had a big week with a teddy bear picnic at the end. I think the hardest adjustment has been the early morning routine. He wakes up around 6:30 or 6:40 and eats and gets dressed. Kevin has been taking him to school every morning and it's a nice short walk from our house. I think Harrison likes having the Daddy time and Kevin is enjoying it too. The little guys and I walk to pick him up at 2:45 and we're home for the afternoon! It's been HOT in the afternoons, so usually after sweating a ton on the walk we jump in the pool right when we get home.






On the walk to school



Ms. Ellis



Harrison's table



Walking out the door. Bye Mom!


He did have one bad day this week. He had his fingers caught in one of the exterior doors and he fell down the stairs! Poor kid! All in one day. He told me about it when I picked him up, but he said, "I don't want to talk about school anymore." His teacher called to check on him that night to make sure he was ok, which made him feel special.

Alex started school this week, too! I need to get the pictures off of the camera, and will give him his own post in a little while. He had a GREAT first day and loved it!

Kinder Camp

Yesterday Harrison and I went to Laura Welch Bush Elementary for Kinder Camp! We were able to meet Harrison's teacher, see his classroom and find his desk and locker. His teacher's name is Mrs. Ellis and she is very nice. We were able to observe the teacher's in the spring and she was one of my top two teacher's to request. It was very a very organized event and the teacher's took their own classes on a tour while the parent's stayed behind and sorted school supplies and filled out paperwork. He had no problems going with his class and had a smile on his face as he walked out the door. Mrs. Ellis spent about an hour and a half touring the school, riding a bus, playing on the playground and then back in the classroom reading stories, having snack and doing an activity with the kids. Good bonding time with the teacher!

He was pretty excited to see a couple of things. First, he has his own locker! He thought that was a super cool, big boy kind of thing. Second, there was a bathtub in the room filled with pillows that the kids can sit in to read. Third, and most IMPORTANT, the class has a pet FROG! Their class is the "Hoppers" and they have a little pet frog to be their mascot. He was really hoping to have a teacher that had animals, and he got his wish. I think there might be a turtle or something as well, but the cage was empty from the summer, so I'm not quite sure.

The first day is on Monday, and we'll have an early start to our day. He has to be there by 7:30-7:40 and we'll be walking, so that means leaving by 7:20 or so. UGH! We're lucky if we're up by that time on a normal day! We're all going to go on the first day and then Daddy is going to take over that job.

Anyway, I'll probably be posting a lot in the next few days, so check back!

We have a walker!

Big news at the Witt House! Ian took his first steps on Thursday, August 16th! He started with just a couple of steps to me. Yesterday he took about 6 or 7 steps to me. He likes to go back and forth between Kevin and me. He also likes to walk to big brother!

I'm still trying to catch it on camera, but right now when he sees the camera he gets down and crawls really fast so he can get the camera. I'll show you the pics when I get them!

Harrison has some news!

Last night he took his belt test and is now an ORANGE belt! He is very proud.

Before I forget...

I wanted to get this down.

Harrison has recently expressed interest in being a Zookeeper when he grows up. I tried to send him in the direction of a Zoology degree from a nice university, from which he gets a full scholarship and graduates with honors of course. I explained that with a degree like that he could take care of ALL of the animals, not just the elephants that he thinks would be so cool.

Anyway, he was telling Kevin about his future plans when he says, "Actually, I changed my mind. I want to be BACK-UP when I grow up." Kevin and I exchange looks thinking that he's referring to the back-up singers on Guitar Hero and that he's thinking a musical route. So we ask him if that's what he's talking about and he says, "No, like BACK-UP. You know, soldiers are always calling for back-up. Back-up NEVER loses!" We have a little chuckle and then he says, "Actually, I think I'll be REINFORCEMENTS!"

I'm proud to report that Harrison and Alex got great reports from the dentist this morning. Harrison was a little P.O.ed that Alex got an A for brushing and he got a B for brushing. I explained it was most likely because Harrison has more teeth and they are harder to brush. That seemed to satisfy him. Anyway, Harrison went first and when it was Alex's turn he was not so sure. (they've only counted and looked in his mouth before) So, the hygienist was REALLY good with him, took Doo-D00 (not sure if that's how I should spell that) and sat him in the chair. Doo-Doo got the glasses, reclined in the chair and she got to work. She went through the whole routine with him, which Alex thought was hilarious. When it was Alex's turn he jumped right in the chair and let her do everything, even down to the flossing! GO Alex! To make for an even better day...he went potty on the potty after swimming! He's been peeing on the floor every time we come in and says, "I go poo-poo". Today I caught him before he went and asked if he wanted to go ON the potty. He did it!

A little rest and relaxation...

Aunt Leslie and Terry




Uncle Ian




Grammy the birthday girl and Alex




At the end of the evening...sweaty and tired!

Today is a happy day. In about an hour, I'm going to cash in on the lovely gift Kevin got me for Christmas last year. I'm heading to the Lake Austin Spa for a half a day away! The trick is that even with a "half-day" package, you can stretch it into a full day, which is exactly what I am doing! I'll start off with a massage, then have a nice lunch by the lake, then will hang by the pool without having to watch for drowning children, read some magazines, chit chat with my friend Mary (without forgetting what I was saying because I was interrupted), then a Rosemary sea salt body scrub and some more relaxation. Heavenly! I'll be jello this afternoon, I'm sure. Kevin will be holding down the fort at the house with the kids. This is the longest I've been away from Ian, so hopefully he won't give Kevin too much of a hard time.





Last weekend we went to Dallas for Carol, Kevin's mom's, surprise 60th birthday party. Kevin's dad did a great job organizing it and we all had fun. Her actual birthday was yesterday, so Happy Birthday to her!





My Dad is turning 70 this week! Wish we could be there to celebrate with him, but a big Happy Birthday to Pops!

I lied...now we're up to date!

Someone else got into the paint, too!




Love!

NOW we're up to date!

Catherine and Ian.




Harrison's new big-boy, kindergartener, spikey, haircut. He's a pretty cool little dude now!




Last weekend we geeked out and went to Drum Corps International in San Antonio. It didn't start until 8 and we were walking back to our car around 11! Alex was full of energy and walked to whole way back to the car!




T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!!!!




Finger painting fun!

Getting closer...

The highlight of the St. Louis trip for Alex was riding the little train that is run out by my parent's house. He LOVES trains and was so excited. He kept leaning down to watch the wheels on the track and Mom had to make sure he didn't fall out or get bumped when we passed trees. Before we left the station, Mom told him to hold Do-Do's hand and that's just what he did. By the way, if you detected a name change of our friendly roadkill, you're very perceptive. A while back Doh-Doh became Do-Do. We tried to continue calling him Doh-Doh, but Do-Do he became. Now it's REALLY interesting...Roadkill named "Do-Do".




Ian's looks have changed pretty drastically in the last couple of weeks. He's sporting some very large front chompers and is proud of them!




One of the few times Ian has actually been allowed to walk behind Alex's firetruck. Usually he gets pushed away with a firm, "MY car!" Alex must have been sleeping when I took this picture.




A couple of weeks ago, Kevin's cousin Karen and her family were in town on a vacation. They happened to be staying just minutes from our house! Kevin's cousin Christy and her family, who live in Austin, joined us for a mini-family reunion. This picture is of the "little" cousins, Alex, Harrison, Juliette and Joshua. Catherine and Christopher (Karen and Jim's kids) were at the grown-up table. :-) I didn't get a picture of Christopher somehow, but I'll post one of Catherine in the next post. She was great with Ian and the little guys. She kept them all in line.

Almost there...

Wacky Zachy, Anne-boy, Noodles, and Harry all piled into Lulu and Pops bed. (nicknames from Lulu and Pops (Anne's mom and dad)). Explanation...Zach is wacky, Alex is very much like I was as a little one, all Faith will eat is Noodles, and Harrison would only let Lulu call him Harry if it was "Harry Potter", but that wouldn't work because "he didn't have the right glasses".



Harrison and Faith at the butterfly house in Faust Park, St. Louis. The kids were so excited to have butterflies land on them, but Lulu was the only one lucky enough to have them.




Alex and Zach had a blast jumping on the trampoline at my cousin Laurie's house. Laurie and Todd were nice enough to host us for an evening of great food and catching up with cousins. Brian and Michi came all the way from Germany, and Steve and Nat came all the way from Virginia! It was great to see everyone, and especially to introduce Ian to the crew!




Pops needed Harrison's help chopping down this tree in their backyard. Harrison was ready for work with his Sponge Bob work gloves!




My brother Scott and I had a stroll down memory lane (as did Mom and Dad) when we headed down to our old childhood haunt of Lake Wauwanoka. Mom and Dad are selling the lots that were beside our old house (if anyone is interested let me know;-)) and we went with them to show the lots to a prospective buyer...I'm sure they'll take back-ups, though! Anyway, the kids had a lot of fun swimming in the lake at the beach and it was fun for Scott and I to show them how we used to spend our summers when we were little.

Almost up to date!

We had a nasty run of childhood diseases this summer. Alex was on the front end of Hand Foot and Mouth of disease, which we all had except for Kevin, when Alex fell asleep in Fletcher's bed. It was the most horrible thing. Alex and Harrison had it the worst and both cried and screamed for 3 days straight. We were lucky enough to get six full days of that because they had it a full week apart.



Fletcher with his Dolly his last night with us.




So big!




In St. Louis we went to Six Flags with Aunt Jenny, Faith, Zachary and Lulu and Pops. Ian and I had to sit out a ride, so I caught this cute one of him trying out Alex's sippy cup.




Alex with his "Bad Guy Guy" guns. Pops and the kids spent a Saturday morning washing cars and Alex helped a lot.