Date nights

Mark and I have recently both felt strongly that our kids need more one on one time with each parent.  We do so much as a family and Mark is around more than most dads but as the kids grow and have more things going on in their lives, we don't want to neglect that desire and need for one on one parent interaction.  So many awesome conversations have happened when we have alone time with the boys and I never want to let that get lost in the busy nature of life and the shuffle of day to day.  So we set up a monthly system where each boy goes on a date with one parent per month.  So in April I took Shortstop on a date and then a week later took Fullback on a date.  May was Mark's turn and I am looking forward to June.
One thing I am trying to do is make sure to say Yes on these dates as much as possible.  I want them to decide what we are going to do and for how long we are out.  Shortstop wanted to go to the live action Beauty and the Beast and loved getting treats at the concession stand.  He wanted to cuddle and hold my hand for most of the time.  I am dreading the day he is embarrassed by this or doesn't want to do it anymore so I soak it up the best I can.

Fullback's date was centered around ice cream, going somewhere we could hold hands, and having fun...his words. So we went to Farm Country where he rode a pony and we visited animals as long as he wanted.  Then we went to the Thanksgiving point cafe and split a cheeseburger and a root beer float.  Mark prepared the boys ahead of time and told them to open my doors, have manners and compliment how I looked.  It was so adorable
For Mark's dates he took Fullback to see Boss Baby and then out for lunch.  Fullback wanted to go to Burger King to use a recent birthday gift card given to him and then they went to Thanksgiving point curiosity museum and took pictures together in the photo booth.
I love hoe much they love planning their dates, they circle the days on the calendar and count down to when we get to take them out.  And in a couple of years we get to add ACE to the mix which will be a blast!

My babies

After realizing that ACE is not our best sleeper...still ok but just not as good as the boys, we realized she needed her own room.  We were going to have her share with Fullback but he is a light sleeper and with Shortstop having school early, we pulled the trigger and put the boys together in a room and gave ACE her own room.  I painted Fullback's green wall a nice bright shade of purple and added some princess pictures and Voila! It is a girl's room.  Fullback was confused and kept saying 'But this is Jack's room."  So I added and "L" to the BYU wall and he was pleased with that.  They are having a good time sharing.

Years ago I made a quilt for Shortstop when he was little and my only child.  My mom did a lot of the work and I love it.  She always makes my babies a minky quilt but Shortstop was the only one with a quilted quilt so I called and asked her if I send her some fabric if should could make two more for Fullback and ACE.  She outdid herself!  I love them all!!!

The one on the right, the sailboats, is the one I made with her years ago.

The quilting is in a plane shape!  To match the fabric!  What the what?!

And now just some cute random pictures and videos of all three of them.  Cause I can't get enough.

He loves her so fiercely

Someone fell in love

Reading together before church

My heart...

Before school wrestles

Quiet time where Shortstop read to Fullback while he played with Legos

"Go get some fresh air and play outside!"  So they took a book to read on the trampoline

All she wants to do is play with her favorite people in the whole world

Mark taught the boys this response when he steals their food.  He always yells "Tax!" and they can do nothing about it so he finally taught them this...

Soccer, itty bitty football, jogging...we have it all!

Much to my heart's delight, the boys wanted to try soccer this year.  They said they want to try each sport until they pick their favorite.  It was so fun to watch them play!  The coaches often needed help at games or practice so both Mark and I got to be involved and part time coaches.  Running all over the field with my boys' teams was so fun.
Shortstop definitely improved throughout the season.  At first he was very distracted and super confused.  But his logical and methodical brain worked out how to follow through on plays and be a part of the game without having to be the fastest or the best kicker.  His team name was Firewolves.

Fullback was suuupper nervous the first game and actually cried the whole time.  It was sad and cute all at the same time.  His little face was red and his body was tense but he kept running and trying his best.  He wanted to push through it and be brave so through tears and fears, he made sure he was involved in all the plays.  Every once in a while he would run over to the sideline, ask me to hold him, then shake it off and run back out...usually still wiping tears off his little chubby cheeks.  I was so proud of him and more than that he was proud of himself.  He said on the way to the car "Mom...I did it!  I pushed through and I finished the game and I did it!" His team name was Golden Aliens.

Seriously...how cute are these boys learning how to high five as a team?!

The boys loved watching each other and of course getting treats at the end of each game.  The nice thing about how they set up soccer this year is that in the Spring it will be the same team and the same coach so hopefully those nerves they both had at the beginning of the season will not be as strong since they will be familiar with who they are playing with.

I signed Fullback up for some itty bitty football and his cousin Nick did it as well.  Again, he was nervous the first day and emotional but got over it quickly and then loved going each day after that.  I try really hard not to force my kids to do things but when they say they want to be a part of something and are all signed up, I want them to follow through.  Then if they hate it, they never have to do it again.

There was one drill where I could tell he was nervous...it was flag football drills.  So I stood at the other side of the room and yelled for him to just run to me.  Man alive that kid was fast and he ran straight to me.  You think they will let me do that when he is in high school and I am in the end zone?

Shortstop did his school jog-a-thon again this year.  He really wanted to beat last year's number of laps but they did them differently so we are not sure which year had more but he did great.  He was encouraging to other kids, loved high fiving Fullback as we cheered him on and felt very proud of himself for not giving up when he was tired.

And ACE just tags along and is happy to be there.  Love this girl!

She was bound and determined to suck on that thumb to keep herself occupied while watching her brother

Summer fun

This summer went by so fast, as I'm sure everyone's did.  I feel like June was busy with tee ball, then July we had lots of family events and then all of the sudden, it was time to get ready for school.  So the last two weeks of summer, which were the first two weeks of August, I asked the boys, especially Shortstop, what they wanted to still do and we made a list.  It was a busy couple of weeks!  But we had a great time.

Church History Museum:

Liberty jail replica

The boys loved making shapes on these lighted tables

Of course they found the book nook...makes me proud

The ark with a TV showing Bible stories was a big hit

Touching the gold plates

Trying to lift them!  So strong!

City Creek:

We had lunch, went shopping at the Disney store and of course ran through the water fountains.  I had told them they could get wet but I didn't have any towels or a change of clothes.  It was a warm enough day, I wasn't too worried...

But then the clouds came and I felt bad so I bought them new outfits at Gymboree.  How cute are they?!

Seven Peaks:

She was ok with the water...

...but much more comfortable in her yoga outfit.  I can't even!  

We played for a couple of hours and then the heavens opened!  We hunkered down in our half tent to see if it would stop lightning and thunder but when we realized we were one of maybe 3 other families still there, we called it a night and went home.  Fullback was so scared we were gonna get blown away!  

The rainbow on the drive home

Zoo:

We headed up to Salt Lake with Aunt Rachel and her kids for a trip to the zoo!

This boy loved the elephants and didn't want to leave

Best cousin buds

You can see the exhaustion on Shortstop's face!

And of course we had to get shave ice on the way home

Water balloon fight:

Since my family reunion, Shortstop has been asking to buy water balloons and have a family water balloon fight so we finally made it happen!  They loved surprising Mark and "blasting" him.

More summer fun:

Earlier in the summer Fullback got to do Dino Camp at a summer preschool.  There is a lady in my sister's ward who does week long theme camps, Shortstop took part of them last summer so it was Fullback's turn.  He really enjoyed it, once he stopped crying.  He would be so excited, I would drop him off, he would cry for a bit but then the teacher said he did great and got more comfortable each day.  He is my little shy buddy and is such a mama's boy (which I LOVE).  But it was good for both of us to do this.

I also signed Shortstop up for three different one day camps and Thanksgiving point but there really are no pictures.  He did magnet camp, dinosaur camp and bugs and butterflies camp.

Of course we enjoyed fireworks on the 24th of July out our windows.  It was so fun to have the boys run from window to window trying to see everything all at once.  We were laughing so hard!  It was a late night and so worth it.

It got HOT in July so I made an ice block filled with toys and marbles and quarters to let the boys chip away at.  Fullback got bored but Shortstop was determined.  Kept him busy for an hour plus.

And we love having Aunt Rachel nearby to enjoy their community pool.  Shortstop is still so timid in the water but is getting a little more brave.  He has no fear with the life jacket but let me take it off him for a bit to see how he could do. I have a feeling he will have to learn on his own and no amount of swimming lessons will help.  He just needs to be confident.

And even though she isn't in very many pictures, ACE was with us at everything.  Haha!  She is just usually sleeping in her stroller so she doesn't get to be a part of pictures.