Happy Birthday Taten!

 
 
 
It's official. Taten is 3 as of today. We had a nice family get-together yesterday with family and our neighbor, Jane. Taten's cake was none other than Elmo. I made it which took a little longer than anticipated but fun. Taten's big present was a big wheel from his Daddy. Gavin's enjoying it more than Taten right now. Ha! Taten got a new train, jammies, a truck and cars, and a savings bond. Go Taten! Unfortunately after all of the excitement, Taten came down with a fever. He's doing better today, though, and hopefully will stay that way. Too much going on.

On another note, Taten's stitches were removed this morning at the Dr. He's on the mend. The Dr. added some stitch glue to the scab and tiny adhesive bandaids which will fall of on their own. Gavin is back in school after a fun weekend. He's learnin' lots. :o)

BATTER UP!!

 
 
It's the darndest thing. Right before dinnertime, Gavin was practicing his T-Ball in the front yard. As he was swinging, Taten ran up to him and you can guess what happened next. WHACK!!! Gavin accidentally smacked him in the forehead. It split open to about a half-inch cut. Unfortunately it was bleeding profusely and the cut was deep enough we had to go to the ER for 2 stitches. So, we had our first trip to the hospital. I'm happy to report Taten did not cry at all once the bleeding stopped. Even when receiving the stitches, he did not cry. The Dr. was great with him. He and the nurse commended him for how great he was in the ER. He'd doing just fine today. And after about a week, we should be healed. Hopefully minimal or no scarring. Whew! Mama was in dire need of medication and chocolate. :o)

It's Official! We're Paci-Free!!

 
 
 
My boy is growin' up. I'm excited to report Taten has done pretty well without the pacifier. At night when he's attempting to get settled in, he asks for it, but I can't believe the change in his personality for the better. He's not as baby-ish. It's liberating. Nighttime is still a struggle but eventually he gets to sleep and has made it the whole night. Wake-up time is about the same. His 3-year birthday is the 22nd and I think we got this thing away from him at just the right time.

On another note, Gavin came home yesterday from school reporting in about a girl trying to kiss him and wanting to marry him. Apparently, at one point, she was practically dragging him on the ground to get at him, and his friends had a hold of him from the other end in order to get him away from her. Victim of a tug-o-war. Bummer. Not sure what to think. Kids know there's kissing but I know at this age they don't really understand what it means. Regardless, I'm hoping this ceases at least for a while.

Pacifier Fairy

The Paci Fairy visits tonight. It's time to get Taten off the security mouth piece. On that note, please pray hard for us. The next few days are going to be rough. Despite the fact Taten has a security blanket and puppy to sleep with, he still thinks he needs the paci. We explained to him that the fairy will come tonight and take the paci to another baby boy or girl who really needs it. Taten will find a toy in its place. In order to ensure a smooth transition, Gavin will be sleeping in the spare room so he isn't disturbed. I am confident once he's off of it, he will begin the potty training process hard-core. He's done it for a whole evening until he got his hands on the paci the next day. We'll keep you updated on how it goes . . . Dear God in Heaven let things go well. :o{.

School Update

I was informed tonight there is a girl in Gavin's class named Abby. Hmmm . . . He went on to mention he and a few others like her because she is so "nice." And so it begins. Ugh. Then there's an Alex. Apparently this kid "escaped" today and the teachers had to whip out their walkie-talkies to inform others Alex had broken out. He later was caught and sent to the warden's office, I mean the principal's office. Ha! We need to pray for him, eh? I guess it's not boring.

The First Day!!

 
 
 
Gavin went to school for the first time at Westview. I set his alarm last night for 6:50a. He was up at 6:20a! Well, at least we didn't have to work to get him out of bed. Gavin was nervous and it showed with his made-up song for Westview and his strange walking. Brad and I took him to school and walked him to his classroom, snapped a picture, and left. We both were somewhat quiet on the way back. Just in shock Gavin is old enough to be attending school. When I got home, and Brad went to work, it was sooo quiet. Wasn't expecting that. No Five-Year old to answer to and serve :o). Taten slept in until 8:30a (Grandpa stayed w/him while we went to the school). Needless to say, once Taten woke up, we were able to go about our day and we spent some quality time together, including meeting up with the Kleinman girls at the library. I kept wondering how Gavin was getting along and was anxious to pick him up to hear about his day. The verdict: he had a great day and is excited to go back tomorrow!! Whoo hoo! Thank you Mrs. Braun for making it a fabulous day for everyone. He saw his friend, Grayson, from last year's preschool. He got to have recess and lunch with him. Gavin was also excited because there is a computer in the classroom with Arthur games on it (PBS cartoon). He got his own locker to put his belongings in and they worked on some key points to remember while in their school: respecting themselves, respecting others, and respecting the school property. He didn't mention lunch was quick but he ate his sandwich and fruit cup and that's all I cared about. Who cares about the chips and fruit snacks. Gavin did start talking about a kid in his class that would not obey and listen to the teacher. Apparently this kid could have potential ADD issues. Gavin kept saying the little boy was putting his hands on the fans, running circles around the room when they were supposed to be listening, and playing with all of the instruments during music time. Great. Hope tomorrow is better for the teacher and that boy. Taten missed his naptime today, but that just means they BOTH go to bed at 7:30p. What a relief . . . More to come . . .

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Getting Bigger . . .

 
 
Our boys are getting so big. My Dad took these pics during their last visit a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to blog them. They're so good. These guys have been pretty animated lately. Aside from their drama when things don't go their way, they manage to keep me laughing. Gavin asked me one day if a show was "appropriate" for him to watch. Last night at bedtime, he told me he didn't want to have any fun today. He also told me thankyou as I was dusting/wiping down the TV because now he could "see it better." I couldn't decide if I wanted to be mad or grateful he was using his manners. I had to just walk away. Taten continues to talk a lot. Some words you can tell what he's saying and then there's plenty you can't. Oh well, he'll get there. Half the time I have to ask him to show me what he means. I did realize, as his 3-year birthday approaches next month, he'll be potty-training this year (praise the Lord) and then next fall in '09, it will be his turn to go to preschool. It goes by so fast. His big moment has been learning to peddle his little big-wheel. Taten likes to ride it especially when his big brother is out there. It's definitely Ralphie and Randy in the flesh (A Christmas Story).

Jones' Family Reunion

 
 
 
Hold on Roberta! Brad talked his mom into taking a ride with him on the 4-wheeler. I think the ride was a little too exciting for her. It's not her cup of tea. Anyway, last weekend we went to White Hall, IL south of Jacksonville and had a great family reunion. This was with Roberta's family (siblings, nieces, nephews, their kids, etc.). It took place at the Green Gables Inn in White Hall which is indescribably beautiful. Then we high-tailed it out to Uncle Forrest's house to eat more, ride go-carts and 4-wheelers, and hang out the rest of the evening. The weather was great and it was so good to catch up with everyone. Gavin and another cousin, Lane, hit it off and were pals the whole evening. We later spent the night with he and his parents at their place. Lane is the son of Brad's first cousin, Pat. On the way home, we stopped in Springfield for lunch and ran some errands. Then we got back to Champaign.

On another note, we are on the official countdown to school time. Gavin's first day is Aug. 22. He'll have the following Mon. off then will be back for the rest of the week. I have to say, I'm ready. After trying to accomplish some much-needed housework, Gavin's will to entertain himself is zilch!! We are excited to say he has all ready met someone from his classroom and will be seeing a familiar face on the first day. It's exciting to see him start this new chapter in his life . . . Brad continues to work hard but hopefully we'll begin to see a slow-up. Next month we'll be off to St. Louis for the last Cards game, then Oct. to Minnesota for a 10-year anniversary trip. Can't wait to see the Kleinmans' on the way back. Brad's ready for some much-needed R&R. That's it for now.

A Fun Weekend

 
 
 
 
We were excited to be with our neice and nephew and their family this past weekend. Jamie and Kennedy had a blast hanging out with us. They arrived around 12:30p and got to stay until 6p. We were all pretty tired afterward, but it was definitely worth it. Uncle Brad was sore from playing baseball and Gavin was impressed with himself being able to hit the ball without a tee. They also entertained themselves on a waterslide and bubbles. Taten missed his naptime and its taking a couple of days to get him back on track.

I was amazed how much Gavin and their little brother, Jimmy Wayne, look alike in physique and stature. They were born in the same month and same year (Nov. '02). Gavin shared his bike with JW although we found out he can't steer well. Deb (their Mom) made him get off after a few close calls. He was having fun and that's what matters. Ha!

We topped off the weekend last night by going to the drive-in with friends and seeing the new flick "Wall-E." It's interesting and just remember it's really for the kids. Wasn't Brad and I's top favorite for a Pixar film. Taten stayed behind with Grandma and Gavin was exhausted when we got back around 12am. He had lots of fun, though, and I know he'll want to do it again soon.

This week is our last week of Tee-ball and we get a few weeks off before starting VBS at FCC. Hope you all had a great July 4th.

Daddy and the boys

 
Happy Father's Day Daddy!!

A Baby!!

 
Don't anyone freak out, this one isn't ours. Ha! We have new neighbors. A Robin set up her home above our front porch and low and behold, she's had 3 babies. Gavin informed me of this a couple of days ago. The only thing is the mama is very jittery. So everytime we open the front door or are just in the front room, you can hear her flying out. Hope you enjoy our fun little pic.

Them Mormons can Build!

 
 
 
 
I took the boys back to the family farm during Memorial Weekend and we went to Nauvoo, Original home of the Mormons until they were driven out. Bummer, eh? The temple was rebuilt not too long ago and of course, it is impressive. Got a shot of the boys with Mississippi behind them. Yes, a new generation of river rats are in the making. :o) Oh yeah, Gavin lost tooth #2 while we were visiting my Grandparents. I pulled it out at their house and Grandma was nice enough to give us an extra pill box to put it in. Ha! He got a $1 and spent it at the Dollar Tree on some light sticks. So exciting.

Gavin the Brave

Just a quick update. Yesterday morning I took Gavin in for the dreaded Kindergarten physical and of course, that came with 4 shots. The poor kid. He took the first two w/out crying. However, I could see his face getting red as he was fighting to hold back the tears. I reassured him it was ok to cry and let it out. Which he did immediately. We got the last two done in the other arm and he took a minute to settle down. I would be lying if I said I was a total rock. I did not cry but definitely had the tears welling up in my eyes. Anyway, that's it. He's done with shots until 6th grade and ready for the big 1st day of school in August at Westview. Today, he's talking like it was such an exciting thing that he had his shots yesterday. He's not afraid, though, to admit it did hurt and he cried. Man in Training . . . :o)

Seeds and a Roundup

Yesterday was such a downer day thanks to the on-going rain and cool temps. Not sure if spring has made it or not. Anyway, I picked up Gavin from a playdate, and he began asking me an interesting question. "Mom, what are we made of?" In which I proceeded to ask him more, wondering in which regard he meant. He said, "Before there were mommies, what were we made of?" I explained a little bit of how God made the 1st man and woman out of dirt. He then goes on asking about us. "What were we made out of?" I just went on to answer, "We're made out of seeds." Of course he was curious if they were like flower seeds and I answered, "yes." I then changed the subject. He's asked stuff like that before and I'm hoping I don't get that kind of question again for a LLOOONNNGGG time. Whew!

On another note, Brad and I took Gavin to his new school, Westview. They had a Kindergarten roundup in which new children coming in could see the classrooms and the teachers. It was very good, and he saw a couple of children he all ready knew there. It sure would be neat if they shared a classroom to make the transition easier. However, I know he'll have no trouble making friends. I cannot believe Gavin is old enough to attend Kindergarten. Anyway, it ended with ice cream served to all of the parents and kids. On the way home, I told Brad how strange it will be when he's there everyday. Then when Taten goes on to preschool, there will be no kids in the house for a short period of time. Might be harder than I thought. :o|.

Today the sun is shining and it's a little warmer. Hoping to get out and enjoy the day. Hope you all have a great weekend. :o)

More Crazy Photos

 
 
 
 

Wild Boys at Play! Send Reinforcements!

 
 
 
 

Hangin' out with Livy Jane

Last Saturday we had the opportunity to help Dan and Jennifer while they made their big move to Urbana. We watched Livy, going on the big 2 this month, and we all had a great time. Brad loaded up Taten and Livy in the bike trailer while Gavin rode his own 2-wheeler. The weather was great and of course, they all had a good time getting out some energy. After about 10 minutes Livy started to say "Out, out." Guess she got bored.
Later, though, she was ready to do it again. I hopped on my bike and rode with them all .





Gavin and Dad stopped long enough to pose for me.




Who couldn't love those faces?!