Busy boys

We had a great weekend, even though Alex's soccer game was rained out AGAIN! We didn't do anything special, just hung out with Moz and Aunt Christie, ate some pizza and played in our new favorite spot - the garage. Alex and Reed discovered chalk for the first time and we even did some crafts. Life with busy boys just keeps getting better.

Go Tigers Go!

Alex and Reed were all dressed up and ready to cheer for the Tigers today in the Sweet Sixteen. Reed even had a pep rally at his school. They'll be asleep for the game, but we got a couple of big roars before they headed off for bed. Go Tigers!



And Nancy and John brought by some flashy, blinky "goggles". They were a hit!

Weekend with Moz and Gramps

After the rain on Saturday that canceled the soccer game, it turned out to be a beautiful weekend. Alex and Reed went over to Moz and Gramps to spend the night and had a great time. They were able to really get outside for the first time this spring, so they rode bikes/trikes, played in the yard, went to the playground, and just had a blast!

Alex's first soccer game

It rained. But, Moz and Gramps, Grandma and Pops and Aunt Christie all showed up to see Alex stand in the rain and get his uniform. We'll try again next week.

3 year old soccer

Okay, I know what you're thinking...really, 3 year olds playing soccer? Well, it's true, but I use the term "playing" very, very loosely. Alex had his first practice today with his team which ranges from 3 year olds to 7 year olds, boys and girls. They have 6 players on a team, no goalie, and no score keeping. It's really just to introduce them to the game. And, I have to say, Alex LOVED it! He ran, he kicked, he scored, and he stood on the field looking a little lost, too. He has his first game on Saturday, so we'll be there to cheer him on!


The "huddle". They were working really hard on picking a team name. Alex wanted the Tigers, but Lydia wanted the Kitties. I'm not sure who won.


The looking a little lost part of the practice.


Now he's got the hang of it.


Reed cheers him on from the sidelines.

So much more fun...

Tonight we did our regular Saturday night routine of dinner and playing at home. But, tonight was so much more fun because we had friends over to share it with. We had two other kids (plus their parents!), Izzie, who is 2 and Brady who is just about Reed's age. They had a great time and played really, really well together. All I can say is that parenting (and a Saturday night) is much more fun when shared with friends.


Izzie, Brady, Reed and Alex eating dinner.


Alex and Izzie having fun (and Reed watching, of course!)

Out for a stroll

Just wanted to post this picture to remind us of warm weather - didn't stay that way long! This is from last week when Moz and Gramps came over to play with Alex and Reed for the afternoon. And yes, they do have on matching shirts (and pants). A mother of only boys has to be allowed to have some dress-up fun, right?

Time flies

When I took this picture a few nights ago, it occurred to me that we were in this exact spot not so long ago...

Just a little over 18 months ago, we brought Reed home from the NICU to meet his big brother for the first time. Reed was 5 weeks old and Alex was only 2 1/2.

It seems like we say "just imagine how much fun it will be when..." and it's nice to have moments like this to remind us how far we've come in such a short time. I don't know that I could have ever imagined how much they would love each other and how much fun they would have together.

I often have the following conversation with Alex:
Me: Alex, you're going to stay little forever, right?
Alex: No, Mommy, I'm already BIG!
Me: But you're not going to get any bigger, right? You'll stay this size forever.
Alex: No, Mommy. I am going to be super big...enormous. I am going to be FIVE.

Here's to my two favorite big boys!

Spring Fever!

Either spring has sprung or this weekend was a really mean joke by the weather fairy. (Let's hope for spring!) Saturday was a perfect combination of daylight savings time, warm spring weather and the lake. We had a blast playing outside, grilling and taking the boat out with everybody for the first time.


Cool dude.


It's hard to believe that this time last year, Reed couldn't even crawl, and now, we can hardly keep up with him. He may be tiny, but he's a mess.


Alex, Reed and Pops spent some serious time digging in the dirt. I'll let you guess who ended up with messy hands!


Grandma and Reed having fun in the yard. I'm pretty sure Reed is doing the "what does a rabbit say" face.

Snack time with Alex

Today I took snack for Alex's class and read the Dr. Seuss book, Wocket in my Pocket. This was our last event of "family of the week" and Freddie returned to the classroom this morning.

Doesn't Alex look thrilled? At least I got a big hug when I got there and when I left. Also, please note the little girl in the background behind my head, that's Alex's "girlfriend", Madalyn.

More swimming...

I took the "big" camera to swimming today so I got some better photos. Alex is still enjoying every minute of it!







On another note, since Alex is "family of the week", Brian went to school to have lunch with him today. Alex was really excited, but also upset..."where is he going to sit, Mrs. Decker?" I think they figured it out!

Swimming in the snow

It's March, so we should be singing in the rain, but instead we are swimming in the snow! With snow still all around, it's hard to believe that today was the first day of swimming lessons. But, it didn't slow Alex down, and we headed for the pool with much excitement. This was an especially fun lesson because Grandma and Aunt Kath were able to join us.

This is Alex's second session with Coach Rob and he is doing great. Jumped right in the water, no hesitation. That's a big change over last summer. The few pictures I took are below, I'll definitely have to take the big camera next time to get some better shots.

Snow Day

We spent Sunday in the snow! With somewhere around 4-6 inches of snow on the ground, we couldn't resist skipping church and heading for the slopes. Literally, our backyard is only fun in one kind of weather: snow. It is pretty much straight down from the deck to the fence, and in the snow it makes for terrific sledding! Brian took both the boys for a run down the hill. As you can see, Alex is an old pro at this, but Reed wasn't sure exactly what to think. Fun was had by all. Now, let's just hope it doesn't keep them out of school tomorrow.