Apple Picking 2015

Today we went for our annual apple picking trip to a local spot nearby (last year's trip is here). We've all been fighting colds, thanks first week of school, and the weather wasn't great but we decided to go for it anyway.

We went straight for the honeycrisps, our favorites! Ezra sampled one to make sure they were still good this year, they were!

As good as it gets with these two little jokers!!

Preschool - Year 2

Cohen started his second year of preschool last week. After having the summer off, it was a pretty big adjustment for him. He was not excited about it, but he was brave and has been doing well so far. He goes 4 days a week now and gets multiple services while at school. He also gets to ride the bus which he thinks is pretty great.

Ezra is a little bit jealous of big brother. He tries to get on the bus every day and the few times we've visited Cohen's preschool he has made himself right at home and not wanted to leave! Cohen's class is half kids who need services and "peers", kids who are developing "normally". I think I need to sign Ezra up to be a peer next year, I know he would love it!

A Hiking We Will Go!

We normally try to go hiking a few times over the summer but just didn't get around to it until today. Cohen starts preschool again this week so we decided to embrace our last day off. Cohen loves adventuring and hiking. Ezra has always been little enough to carry in the hiking backpack but we decided to let him tromp around on his own today. Obviously, it wasn't a difficult hike but the boys loved it and it was so great to get up to the mountains!

Ezra is big into the 2 year old "me do it" phase. He loved climbing all the big rocks by himself and then jumping off just as many other ones.

Oddly enough, for someone who has long struggled with balance and physical motor skills, Cohen is in his element when he's hiking and exploring. For some reason, he seems to be so much more coordinated and climbs rocks and goes over uneven ground without much trouble. It's so great to see. We joked today how awesome it would be if our "wimpy white boy" who spent two months on a ventilator, spent 8 months of his life on oxygen, and was supposed to have "crappy lungs" became a mountain climber! (Well, we know he has already climbed so.many.mountains. but you know, actual physical mountains someday)

Grampa's 2nd Annual Camping Trip

Last weekend was our church camping trip and this weekend was our second year of doing a family camping trip for my dad's birthday. We came home, did six loads of laundry, threw the camping stuff in a pile and then packed it all up again a few days later.

The boys did good, they liked running back and forth between campsites and playing in the dirt. We did get rained on the second night, but you aren't a true pacific northwesterner if you aren't blue tarp camping. When we first got there I knew there was rain in the forecast and I asked Danny to see about getting a tarp over the tent. I came back and he had draped the tarp directly over the tent (instead of tying it to trees above) it was pretty classy and we looked a bit like redneck campers. They did fix it up properly on Saturday which is good since it rained Saturday night.

Cohen was fascinated by the fish the big boys caught. After Danny cleaned and gutted them he had them in a bucket and Cohen just stared and stared at them. "Why aren't they swimming? Hey! What happened to their heads!?"

It has been nice to unplug and just have some family time. I will also be glad to sleep in my own bed next weekend.

Church Campout 2015

This year our first camping trip of the summer was our church campout. We haven't been to one before but went this year and had so much fun! The boys had a blast and it was nice to let them roam knowing we knew everyone around us. We weren't entirely sure if any of us would get any sleep based on the boys' recent poor sleeping habits. The first night was rough but they were exhausted by the second night and slept great! We got home and I immediately put them in the tub to get off 3 days worth of dirt and then started in on 3 loads of laundry. We are only partly unpacking, because we are doing it all again next weekend, this time a family camping trip!

Ezra had a run in with the driveway (and one with Cohen's head and another with a bench) before we left so he had a nice nose/lip owie going on.

(We had fun coming up with captions for this picture..."Wait until I tell you what my mom said! She said she thinks we are going to go to bed EARLY tonight, hahahahahahaha!)

When you wake up at 6 am and the rest of the camp is still asleep, you go for a good morning walk.

This guy is always on the go! He literally jumps around from place to place. He just never stops moving!

Summertime

Whew! We've been busy! Cohen has conquered his fear of water and now loves to "swim" in Gramma's pool. He wears a life jacket, clings to the side, and works his way around the pool. Sometimes he gets in a floatie and lets us push him around the pool. Ezra got in once, loved it, and won't get in again.

Ezra is in full swing of being two and keeps us on his toes. He is a little ball of energy that loves to jump, climb, and go, go go.

These boys are starting to notice each other a little more, which is so great, and so...them being brothers. They fight like crazy and then every once in awhile, just when you think they can't fight any more, they play...together! They love to play "construction site" which is generally them digging large holes in my garden and run and chase. Cohen yells "Ezra, tackle me!" and then they run around like crazy. 

One of the things that I grieved a lot, was Cohen not getting to do life with his brother. Then this sweet little rainbow baby punk came along. It is so good for my heart to get to see them developing a deeper relationship and I'm so thankful they get to experience life together. 

The Child Who Won't Sleep

The newborn stage is supposed to be the hardest, right? And once you get them to learn how to sleep through the night, it's all downhill until they are teenagers and you can't get the to wake up right? Not around here! The boys have been good sleepers and we have been spoiled. We have reached a time where it feels like we are back in the newborn stage, and worse because they can walk and talk.

Maybe it's the weather, the temperament of a certain 4 year old, sensory overload, too dark, too light, you get the picture. 

If you are in the same boat, I'm going to save you some time and give you a list of things that we've tried and that have worked to get our child to sleep.

1. Everything and nothing.

And there you have it! We've tried everything and nothing ever works consistently. We've tried lighter, darker, room darkening shades, curtain open for a little light. Top bunk, lower bunk. Sippy cup, no sippy cup. Essential oils, melatonin, talking, not talking, snuggling, not snuggling. Rewards, losing toys. Timers. Clocks. Daddy, mommy, Ezra, no Ezra. Blankets, no blankets, special blanket. Tranquilizers and mixed drinks (just kidding, those are just for mom and dad!) 

This guy is a hard nut to crack. Some nights something will work, the next night, not a chance. We've been struggling with winding down to go to sleep, staying asleep, and waking up with the sun (which is early these days). 

If you have a child in the throes of sleeplessness, I feel your pain and your exhaustion. Hang on to your sanity and keep telling yourself it's only a phase (it's only a phase, right!?)