The Final Countdown

Ding!  This turkey is DONE! :)  Yes, I am beyond ready to evict this kid from her oh-so-comfortable uterine home.  I will, of course, let her decide when the time is right, but I am officially offering firm words of encouragement to get a move on.  As my belly continues to expand my patience unfortunately is slimming.  I never really thought about it before I was pregnant, but when you get to the end it's a really weird moment in life when you know that something HUGE is about to happen, but you have zero clue when it will actually take place.  There's just that magic window between 37ish and 42ish weeks of pregnancy when it is supposed to occur, but that's kind of a big window when you are preparing to add another human being to your life.  And, not just any ordinary human being...one you created and relies on you for everything.  I have to give her a place to feel safe and secure, nourishment and a clean diaper here and there.  A little warning would be nice, but so far her lips are sealed...or I just can't hear her.

So...this is #3, and it's evident.  When #1 was baking I think we had everything prepared FAR in advance.  Hospital bags were packed several months ahead of my due date and items were purchased and waiting for him.  It gets a little harder to not procrastinate with the addition of each child.  I have had mental lists floating around in my head since the puking phase of this pregnancy lessened and I felt human enough to tackle them...however, they have been far from tackled until very recently.  I had several spurts of nesting fury kick in, only for them to cure things that are so far from necessary when it comes to bringing a baby home, but you can't argue with nesting. I found myself at the top of a ladder at 8 months of pregnancy making sure every last speck of dust were sucked and wiped from the tops of the kitchen cabinets and upper reaches of our vaulted living room.  Last week I decided that my world would fall apart if I didn't get my office/craft room organized after it had been sitting in it's perpetual state of confusion since January when we finished the basement.  Why, you ask?  Because my hormones told me it had to be done and I'm not messing with that!  On a more baby-prep front...her tiny clothes have been washed, itty bitty diapers are waiting to embrace her tiny tush, the car seat base has been installed in the truck which will be our getaway vehicle when the time is right and, yes...we FINALLY finished the nursery! :)

I always had big hopes for a precious nursery with the boys, but it never came to fruition.  Mostly because, when we moved in, X-man was already 6 months old and I couldn't ever find the time to make the picture in my head reality.  Gokey came quickly behind him and the room was already put together...we would have had to tear it apart, paint and put it back together again.  It didn't happen.  This time, we had to move both boys into the same room together, so I was able to cowboy-ify their room and make it what I wanted and then was left with an empty nursery to do with as I pleased!  I love it!  I find myself wandering in there in the middle of the day and plopping down in the rocking chair to daydream about snuggling with a newborn again...such a fleeting stage, and so sweet.

So...this is your official invitation, little Jilly Bean.  We are ready and waiting.  Though your Daddy won't admit it, you will have him so wrapped around your little finger...I can't wait to see him hold you for the first time.  And there are two little boys that have gone so unexpectedly baby crazy that we can't walk by an infant in the grocery store without them ooohing and aaahing and telling the world who we are expecting.  And then there's me...your Momma, who can't wait to feel you in my arms after all of these months of feeling you tumble in my belly.  C'mon out baby girl...and be easy on your mother when you make your way! :) 

Feliz Cumpleanos, Mr. Gokey...

Dear Gokey,

I knew when I had kids that they would grow up, but it still seems to catch me by surprise when another year rolls around.  Today you join the ranks of the Terrible Two-year olds...though, I am pretty sure you have solidified your membership long before today! :)  So, in my annual tribute to my littlest man, let's take a little stroll down memory lane.

Ahhhh...two years ago today.  At this moment I was exhausted, I believe I was trying to sleep through contractions that just wouldn't go away.  They had started the evening before and I told your dad, though they weren't at all painful, that I just knew that this was it, so if there was anything else he needed in the hospital bag, he should pack it before bed.  We had a failed trip to the hospital in the middle of that night and we were sent home at 6 am because there was no progression, but I still knew I would be holding you in my arms before long.  Mother's intuition usually doesn't fail!  So...I was napping...kind of.  We had a short appointment with the OB later in the morning where there was a little progression and he commented that he would probably see us in the middle of that night...I still knew it would be sooner.  Around noon, Daddy came in and woke me up to eat some lunch.  He made me a sandwich and I sat on my Yoga ball at the table to eat.  That's when the real deal hit.  I forced my sandwich down between intense contractions, knowing this would be my last meal until you arrived.  After lunch, Dad helped me downstairs and filled our big bathtub so I could soak.  I sat in there a LONG time while he and your brother played outside the bathroom.  It was a comfort to hear X-man's giggles and squeals and I couldn't wait to add another unique laugh to my little brood.  After my super soak, Dad helped me out of the tub and I told him to call Grandpa Moose to come over and hang with X-man so we could go back to the hospital...I knew I wouldn't be turned away this time.  I was right!  I was admitted and after having to change rooms several times due to odd things like heavy machinery jackhammering and beeping right outside of my birthing suite window, we were finally settled in.  Aunt Adie and Nana came to keep us company, but mostly kept each other company as Dad and I walked up and down the hallways for a couple hours, only stopping to monitor your steady little heart beat.  Only took a couple of hours and a brief bout of pushing for your squirmy little body to slip into this bright, beautiful world!  Your daddy called it weeks ahead of time.  He knew you would be born on Cinco de Mayo because of all of the mexican food I ate during my pregnancy...he must have known what he was talking about! :)  You came out so alert, beautiful and HUNGRY!  There is truly nothing like the moment I got to hold you in my arms for the first time.  Though we had a room full of doctors, nurses and family who witnessed your arrival, for a few perfect minutes it was just me and you.

A boy and his dog...

Fast forward two years now...it's hard to believe you were ever that tiny!  You are still a little guy for your age, but you don't let that hold you back.  Afterall, you have to keep up with your big brother!  You are definitely a Momma's boy, which I am absolutely OK with, and you have a snuggly, affectionate side like no other.  You are a talker and, though it doesn't always come out like you want it to, you have very little problem communicating.  You are quick to hand out "I love you's", "please's" and "thank you's" to my delight.  You have big brown eyes that I could almost fall into...people comment on them everywhere we go, but you don't seem to notice or care.  Just like your momma, you have developed a true love for animals.  You are a little wary of the larger livestock type animals, but if it is canine or feline, you are magnetically drawn.  Your very favorite furry friend, though, is our Stella dog.  You love her and she loves you and the time you have spent in your short 2 years climbing on, snuggling with and lovingly torturing her most definitely outweighs the amount of time you have spent in slumber (not that that means a lot).  Your very best friend, however, is your big brother...I hope that it is always like that.  There is nobody cooler than X-man and you will attempt to repeat anything he says, complete any acrobatic feat he performs and get into any trouble he suggests...I adore the two of you together.

You told me you were just resting...

On the flip side, you have a stubborn streak rivaling nothing I have ever experienced!  At a mere two years of age I seriously think you have mastered the eye roll, and I expect I will see that expression for many years to come.  The attitude that you can wear is almost humorous...it takes everything in me to remain stern when all I want to do is giggle at the little man that stands before me so defiant and a whopping 32 inches tall.  You are very emotional, and dramatic, but I love that about you...nobody can perfect the staggering fall to the floor, resting your forehead on the carpet in obvious distress like you have.  Your daddy may not be quite as dramatic, but one of the things I love about him is that he doesn't hold anything back...I hope you keep that quality as well.

I just helped your tearful little self into bed for a much needed nap and it took everything in me to make you stay there.  You don't know how much I wanted to spend the next couple of hours hugging you and reading you the same 14-word-total board books we have recited over the last couple of years.  But, alas, you must rest up for the celebrations to come.  I love you to pieces, little man.  Thank you for bringing your offerings of joy, chaos, laughter and love to this little family.  Happy Birthday!!!!

Such a little man...where did my baby go?

Luv,

Momma :)

The Dirt Finder

My oldest, X-man, was born clean...and has stayed that way.  He hates to be dirty unless dirty was his mission (he is still a boy, afterall).  He insists on having a napkin at dinner and comes away looking flawless...not bad for 3 1/2 years of age, and this has been going on for a while.  Then there is Gokey.  He is a totally different story!  He will find a way to make a mess out of something I completely think will be mess free when I hand it to him.  Dinner time is just proof that a bath is REQUIRED following (you should see what this boy can do to a peanut butter sandwich) and he is content to sit in a dirty diaper for hours on end if you let him.  He has proven to be a mud-magnet.  Today was no exception! :)

After a rough morning of boy brawls and all out uncontrolled chaos in our little home, I decided that a trip to the park was warranted.  Of course, in order to make that happen I would have to get dressed without them killing each other in my short absence.  Luckily, we all survived relatively unscathed.  We headed off to a little park that we don't often visit, but is relatively close by.  After the boys played on the equipment and with a few other kids for a while we decided to put our shoes back on (shoes were absolutely optional on such a beautiful spring morning) and explore.  This park has an abundance of trees surrounding open fields and a good sized pond, which happened to be nearly dry on this trip.  X-man was determined to find us some frogs, so off to the dwindling pond we marched.  We stood on the cracked, dehydrated pond bed discussing how it got that way and Gokey suddenly decided to heave the stick he had harvested on the way there into the water.  His mistake...running toward the water's edge to get close enough to do said heaving. Since the pond was a mere shadow of what it once was, the ground was very dry farther out, but nearing the water's edge it turned into the thick, gooey sludge that, if you have have ever been brave enough to stick your toes into the bottom of such a pond, you know there's a chance you may never see them again!  Before I could even yell his name he had planted both "fast shoe" covered little feet in the grime and as I reached for him he fell forward and both hands disappeared as well.  I literally had to pull him up by the belt loop on his tiny shorts and this is what we had:

They certainly have a way of keeping me on my toes...and elbow deep in dirt! :) 

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

Boys...it's just what I know!  I have "known" that this little "Chip" that I carry was a boy from very early on.  I was convinced...I don't know why.  This pregnancy has been much different than both of my previous pregnancies, but I don't put a lot of stock in that.  Every pregnancy is different, right, and shouldn't something be said for mother's intuition?  So...I had my sonogram this morning and, unfortunately, since my whole house seems to be horribly ill right now, I had to go it alone.  It made the whole thing kind of anticlimactic.  It's such an amazing thing to be able to see that little baby from the outside and I have always been lucky enough to share that with my husband, but it is what it is.  I went in, the technician went through all of the routine checkpoints...saw ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes, saw that little hearbeat flashing away, saw that elegant little spine and even got a little wave from our little "Chip!"  Then the technician asked if we wanted to know the gender, and my response was, "of course!" :)  However, this little baby was MODEST!  That's something new...both of my boys showed the goods willingly, laying there spread-eagle in their pride.  This one had those little legs all tucked up and crossed and wouldn't budge.  The technician said, "we'll come back to that," and found a few other measurements to be taken.  When we returned, we found those little legs still all tucked up and crossed.  I recalled a conversation with an ultrasound technician during my 20 week scan with my first baby.  She said that 90% of the time those innate female and male things are ingrained within the womb already and boys will willingly show the goods, while girls tend to hide it all...interesting, huh?  The technician took the probe and gave baby a good jiggle and, voila!  She pointed out baby's little hiney, and 2 legs coming down and then these 3 little lines..."this is a baby girl!"

"WHAT?" I exclaimed in shock.  "I have two boys and I just knew this was a boy, I am floored!"

"This is NO boy," she confidently stated.

I am STILL in shock!  I have just gotten so used to the boy thing...I have fantasized about a little girl and oohed and aahed at all the adorable, pink, frilly little outfits (which is odd, considering I am SO far from frilly), but just figured that we didn't "do" girls.  I guess I should have listened closer to X-man who has insisted from the beginning that he was having a baby sister.  If you suggested that it might be a baby brother, he would adamantly, almost scold, that he was indeed having a baby sister and refused to believe otherwise.

So...here we are!  Entering a new realm of pinkness!  Time to put away the frogs and snails and puppy dog tails!  :)

Thankful for forgiveness...

...because I have failed at this daily thankfulness exercise!  And since I need to make up for the 4 days I missed, here goes!

I am oh-so-thankful for a very tolerant Stella-dog...she's such a good beast! :)

I am thankful for failed self-portraits...just means I have healthy, ornery, WIGGLY, uncooperative little boys!

I am thankful for GIANT accomplishments for my little Gokey as he made it to the top of McDonald's Playplace this week...and almost didn't come down.  The second picture is taken, yes, at the very top where I had to crawl to retrieve him after his big brother tried to pull him down by his shirt, nearly leaving him naked!

I am thankful for chilly, fall morning strolls outside which give us a good excuse to put on our knitty's and sweatshirts and then come in and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate (or coffee, as X-man likes to call it).

Where did a year and a half go?

Gokey is 18 months old today.  Milestones like this bring so much nostalgia and memories come flooding back.  It is so hard to fathom all that happens from conception to birth and then from birth through the next few years.  Every day brings such change and development and it is stunning!  I revel in all my boys have accomplished in their short little lives and am sure that it is because they are so bright and strong and advanced (don't remind me that every kid goes through these same milestones)! :)  At the same time, each reminds me that time is flying by and before long I will be sending my babies off to college.  I know that's slightly irrational.  Afterall, the whole purpose of parenthood is to grow and shape these little beings into productive, respectful and loving little citizens, but, darn it...I want to snuggle with them forever! :)  I guess it is a very good thing that God has worked in that innate desire for every little toddler to push the limits and grow their own independence along the way.  If I had too much influence they would grow to be 35 years old, obese, bald (sorry, boys...this one is inevitable with your genetics) and living in my basement eating Cheetos and playing the latest version of World of Warcraft from sundown to sunup, then slumber the day away.  Good thing their own free will will hopefully prevent most of that (but, if it doesn't, my dear boys, I will always love you both no matter what).

Yesterday in the span of 10 minutes X-man made it clear to me how strong the urge for independence has gotten.  I had tied left over birthday balloons to a couple of their matchbox airplanes in the attempt to keep them from hovering to the highest point in our vaulted ceiling for me to retrieve for the 38th time yesterday.  After playing with them like that for a while, X-man requested that the balloon be removed because it is much more fun to watch mom balancing on her tiptoes on top of a chair every 30 seconds to once again return said balloon to its rightful owner.  I begrudgingly fulfilled the request, being the glutton for punishment that I am, and because those forever long eyelashes are so absolutely persuasive.  I quickly retrieved a pair of scissors from a bathroom drawer and snipped the string, setting his beloved airplane and bobbing balloon free.  He was elated.  As I was rushing about the house trying to get things tidied and the boys' shoes in their rightful places (on their feet) so we could make it to story time, I was only half-heartedly responding to Gokey's pleas to have his balloon removed from his airplane and X-man's requests for a drink of water.  Gokey was finally sitting on my lap, wrestling with me while I attempted to get his socks and shoes on and X-man proudly emerged from our bedroom with Gokey's freed balloon.  "Here, Gokey," he touted as he handed over the prize and gently patted him on the head.  It took me a minute to realize what X-man had been up to.  I rushed to the bathroom where I found the airplane that the balloon had previously been tied to, discarded in the middle of the floor.  I asked X-man if he cut the string with the scissors.  "Mmmm-hmmm," he nodded proudly, hands behind his back and chest puffed out.  I asked him if he put the scissors back where they belonged.  Again, "mmmm-hmmm," nodding with his proud little smirk.  Wow!  I couldn't really get mad at him...he had fixed Gokey's problem...a problem that I had ignored for the last 15 minutes.  It was truly sweet.  I made a mental note to move the scissors to a safer place so that next time the snipping of the shower curtain or chunk of luscious baby hair or little toddler finger would be prevented.  By the time I returned to the living room, I heard thumping around in the kitchen.  As I came around the corner, I witnessed X-man trying to keep his teetering cup steady on the edge of the towering kitchen counter as he lifted the very heavy, full pitcher of water with a grimace to attempt his first pour of water all on his own!  I quickly intervened, but not wanting to dash his little moment of independence, suggested we move his cup to the floor where it would be easier for him to reach.  I barely assisted, only because of the weight of the pitcher and once again his little chest puffed up as the water rose in his cup.  

It was a very grown-up span of minutes.  After listening to his and his brother's pleas for my assistance and being ignored, he went into solution mode and, without complaint, fixed the problems he saw around him.  *Sniff sniff*  Every stage my boys have gone through I think I have said, "this is my favorite age," and then they exceed my expectations with the next milestone that comes along!  The mundaneness of everyday chores...ones that I obviously ignore...are suddenly new and full of new opportunities to grow and soar!  I have the best job in the world!

My boys: then & now

Oh...and Happy Half Birthday to my littlest man! :) *smooch*

Busy busy...Boo!

My birthday, every year, seems to be the start of the "holiday season" for me.  A week after my birthday is X-man's birthday, 4 days later is Halloween, 3ish weeks later, Thanksgiving and then Christmas.  I love that it gets the season moving because I love Christmas and everything that goes with it, but the problem is...I am already exhausted!  Boy are we having fun, though! :)

Halloween was a fantastic success.  Probably one of my top 5 favorite evenings with my little family!  Last year was a big bummer because X-man ended up being off-kilter with his naps and slept too late in the day and then we could hardly drag him out of bed to get dressed up and he cried through all 3 houses we went trick-or-treating at.  Gokey did great, but he was only 6 months old and didn't know what in the heck was going on.  This year, both of them managed to pick out their own costumes, which came as a surprise to me.  As soon as the Halloween garb was on display in stores (sometime around July...Haha), X-man just knew he had to be Iron Man.  This kind of baffled me because I am not sure he even knows Iron Man, but whatever...it was cute that he was so excited.  I put off buying the costume, however, because I knew he would grow and I didn't want him to be out of the costume by the time he would be donning it.  EVERY time he came across that costume in the next 6 weeks, though, I had to battle to leave the store without it.  Gokey went shopping with me on a weekend alone one day and I ended up finding some costumes, so I started pulling some out and asking him if he approved...it was more to have conversation, as he was my only company.  I really didn't think he would answer.  However, upon pulling out a dragon costume first he adamantly refused with a, "NO."  He really liked the monkey holding the banana, so I held onto that one as I pulled out a dog, giraffe and bee, all of which he thought were rather boring as he decided to play with a broken hanger under one of the racks.  It was then that I found the shark...I almost put it back because I figured he wouldn't even know what a shark was, but suddenly heard him panting beneath me and peered down to find him reaching up in excitement.  I had him try the top on in the store and took him to a mirror where he giggled and admired his new look.  A week or two later, I finally took X-man to get his costume and as we stood in the aisle and I debated on sizes, the little man suddenly began pleading that we take the package he grasped in his grubby little hand home.  I seized it from him and found that he had dropped Iron Man like a bad habit and now wanted to join the likes of Jack Sparrow and Captain Hook.  It was official...we had ourselves a Shark and a Pirate!

Pickled Frogs...mmmmm :)

Fast forward to the big night and we had two riled little boys!  Nana came over for the festivities as the Devilish gal we all know she is and brought with her, "pickled frogs" and rice-crispie snakes.  As soon as dinner was over, X-man was bouncing off of the walls and I finally gave him the go-ahead to get arrrrghed up!  He had a very hard time sitting still for the process and we did struggle with hook etiquette as it was the perfect size to fit around Gokey's neck and yank him across the room, but he was finally transformed into our polite little pirate.  Gokey was a little easier as I'm not sure he really understood what he was in for, but as I pulled the little shark head over the top of his little head, he suddenly protested and ripped it off.  I pulled it back on and explained to him he had to be a shark and took him into the bathroom to see himself in all of his toothy glory.  He must have liked what he saw because he never touched it for the rest of the night.  Lastly came Dad's costume.  Earlier in the day, J had pondered about dressing up a little to get the boys excited.  I jokingly said, "we have a pirate and a shark...you should be the plank."  He quickly agreed.  So, we tied him up with a cedar plank on his back and we had one super-cool trio!

Our fierce little duo...

We had some very quick pictures on the front porch and then off we went.  I was so surprised at Gokey's enthusiasm and X-man could hardly contain himself.  We got to our first house and big brother performed flawlessly, saying, "trick or treat," as directed and, "thank you," after the goods had been gathered.  It was Gokey that threw me for a loop...upon hearing his brother's recitations, he chimed in, "tick er teet," patiently waited for his loot and immediately followed up with an adorable, "tankoo," which drew lots of ooohs and aaahhhs from door-answerers.  We only visited 5 or 6 houses, but every step was a blast and it was a bit of a magical evening.  Despite the few houses we raided, they came home with quite the booty.  They each blissfully slurped down a sucker (the one piece of candy they each chose from their loot) and then had a much needed bath.  We found there was no amount of scrubbing that would remove X-man's expertly applied mustache, so he went to bed clean, but a little manlier than he had awakened that day.

One tired little shark...

It never ceases to amaze me how much joy they bring to my life...our lives...I think Daddy and Nana would agree!

Two Things...

My Birthday meal...a giant
stack of Mmmmm, courtesy
of Grill-Master J!

1).  We are celebrating my birthday (the big double 3) a few days early today since it is the weekend and we can all be together.  J has the lovely ability of insisting that a birthDAY turns into a birthWEEK.  Not that that is a bad thing, but I kinda feel a little silly with all the fuss.  Birthdays have kinda transformed into a HUGE deal for my little men, but just kind of another day for me...and I am OK with that.  It is nice to be pampered, though! :)  We got up this morning and went out for a big buffet breakfast, shopped for X-man's birthday (it's exactly a week after mine) and then had a relaxing end to our weekend.  I requested loaded burgers for dinner and my man certainly delivered!  It was a meal of awesome yumminess!  Afterward, I was serenaded by my boys with the birthday song (or "dirtday" as X-man calls it) and him singing it to me absolutely melted me from the inside out!  LOVE it! :)

My favorite three beings...responsible for some heavy
birthday spoiling this weekend! :)

2.)  Just a funny tidbit.  Last night J and I had FINALLY gotten the boys to bed (if you have read any of my blog, you know that sleeping is not a strong suit for my kids).  We settled in for a movie, some popcorn and a couple of adult beverages.  Upon removing the popcorn from the microwave, a teensy bit of smoke escaped from the bag and our fantastic, oh-so-sensitive smoke alarm started screaming!  J and I frantically scrambled over each other to try to wave the fumes away to cut the noise off, but in no time all 3 dogs were barking up a storm and freaking out in harmony to their new alarm-friend.  We looked at each other completely defeated and began to debate which of us was going to tag which boy to try to get them back to sleep after they were so rudely shaken from their slumber.  The alarm fell silent and we both sat there...waiting...waiting...waiting.  What?  The silence ensued.  You mean to tell me that my sweet little boys that wake when the toilet across the house flushes 3 hours into their nightly sleep, continue to snooze peacefully through a blaring smoke alarm and 3 barking beasts a mere 20 minutes into dreamland???  I am baffled...happy that the smoke alarms work, I guess, not that they would do any good without me to scoop their little bodies out of their cozy, flaming beds! :)  Someone please explain to me why it has to be so complex...

I'm trying...really, I am!

I have so much to say, but the boys refuse to let me sit on the computer when they are awake and it seems that sleep is no longer in their plans.  I think this was the last time they slept...it was Sunday after leaving them with Gigi and Papa for 3 days and letting them run the boys ragged (or was it the other way around).  Just for the record--it is now Friday.

I am tired and Gokey thinks that at the ripe ol' age of 17 months, he is old enough to ditch the nap.  He is screaming at me right now as I type.  And neither of them are sleeping at night...oh the woes...good thing they're cute! :)

Trouble with a big, fat capital "T"

X-man with his new friend, Mr. Fuzzy

Tales from a Road Trip...

I don't even know where to start!  My blog has sat idly by the last couple of weeks because I squeezed a little road trip with my mom (Gigi) and the boys into last week.  I had intentions of updating this thing as we had our fun, but it turned out that I was occupied from sun-up to sundown (and much beyond) with two little boys who wore themselves out daily and felt pretty far from home when bedtime rolled around each night.  Our travels took us to Colorful Colorado where a little piece of my heart resides.  The main objective was to visit my Grandparents who live in itty bitty Bailey, but after living in Denver for over 2 years (and being away for more than 4) we had a lot of catching up to do there as well!  J and I have discussed making the trip on many occasions, but our uncertainty at how the boys would handle 9+ hours in the car and working around his work schedule (whether it be layoffs or overtime) had hindered the process.  I finally suggested that the boys and I go it alone, since I was starting to feel a severe Colorado tug and my momma graciously offered to join us so she could help with the munchkins.  So, our road-trip ensued...and it was the first of such trips for the boys who had never been car and seatbelt-bound for more than 2 or 3 hours up to this point.  My first discovery was that the days of one tiny bag for myself for such a trip were long gone.  We literally stacked the Buick Enclave belonging to beloved Papa (whom we left behind...thank you, Papa) to the brim with necessities of toddlerhood...it appeared we were packing for a month's worth of heavy adventures or planning on taking up residence at our planned destination!  Along the way, I also learned a lot about the two little beings that I spend so much time with on a daily basis.

Lunch on the road--McD's Playplace
I made him wear his flip flops over
his socks to the bathroom :)

Day one...Monday.  We left our house at 8:30 a.m. armed with healthy, low sugar snacks (for obvious reasons), lots of water, diapers, a bin full of toys and a bag full of treasures to surprise wiggly boys with when impatience set in...we knew it would!  The trip went much better than I expected!  X-man was phenomenal and exceptionally patient from the time we left to the time we pulled into GG'ma's and GG'pa's driveway.  He giggled his way through much of the trip, took a nap or two here and there and played his little heart out when we stopped to allow such activities.  Gokey did very well also, especially considering his difficult age.  Seventeen months is an age of very little patience and gigantic communication hurdles, and though there was a little fussing, there was more sleep than anything else and it worked for everybody.  The trip took about 2 hours longer than it would have in my single days, but that allowed for some great playtime and running along the way.  Eleven hours of happiness beats nine hours of restless crabbiness any day!

C'mon GG'pa!

After the surprise of having two relatively fabulous travelers I was extremely pleased with how quickly they settled in with GG'ma and GG'pa.  We only get to see them once or twice a year which is equivalent to decades when you are dealing with a one and two year old, so I was worried that they would be standoffish with them and clingy with me.  Instead, by the end of dinner, Gokey was tugging GG'pa's hand to accompany him into the kitchen to raid the utensil drawer and X-man eagerly crawled into GG'ma's lap after dinner so she could recite my favorite childhood story to him in fantastic GG'ma fashion! :)

Nighttime brought the monsters out, however.  Gokey is known to be a crappy sleeper at home...what did I expect after inflated naps in the car, GG'ma's sugary chocolate cake for dessert, the excitement of a new place, the strangeness of a new place and absence of Daddy?  I guess I was hoping for exhaustion.  It was a rough couple of hours trying to get them both down and Gigi was finally able to convince X-man to sleep in her room and with his absence came a little cooperation from Gokey, and finally...sleep...only to be interrupted a short hour and a half later by the altitude's nasty effects on my little X-man who, I believe, suffered from a good ol' fashioned headache.  After some tears and ibuprofen, it all worked out, though and we slept...until 4:45 a.m.  Ugh.  Darn frickin' reliable internal clocks on these boys...just not adjusted for the time change.  We survived, though and that was the start of our mountainous adventures!!!!

There is nothing like the peace of a still, crisp mountain morning...an appreciation I couldn't quite instill in my two little beasts.  They reveled in the boyness of the mountains, though.  There almost weren't enough sticks on the hillside to be broken ("just like Papa says"), rocks to be moved and pinecones to be gathered.  It was magical all over again, as it was when I was a kid.  We went to our favorite childhood picnic spot on Guanella Pass, let them wade in an ice cold stream and drove to the summit and breathed in the cool, clean mountain air, marveling at how blue the sky is when you are up that high.  And there was DIRT...a true sign of a marvelous time! :)

Love this...he was talking GG'ma's ear off!

After two too short days in our mountainous bliss we drove down into Denver and took up residence in a hotel room and visited extended family, and long lost friends from my time living there.  We had mounds of fun, lots of laughs and very little sleep, but memories were made for me and for the boys, so the trip was an immense success.  My discoveries?  They are as follows:

• For those who wonder how to relive childhood...have a kid!  Things that I have done over and over again, places I have been to, beauty I have begun to take for granted...all was renewed in the presence of my little men.  
• X-man continues to grow up...it's not that I didn't realize that this would happen, but it is just the pace at which it has occurred!  I am amazed at how patient he has become (sometimes), how adaptable he is and how in tune to his little brother he is.  I keep replaying moments during Gokey's giant struggles with sleep on 2 separate occasions when X-man stated so simply, "Gokey needs Daddy."  He was right...I think we all needed him.  We love you, Daddy!  And there was one moment on both the trip to and from Colorado that Gokey had a bit of a meltdown about being trapped in his seat.  X-man gladly yielded all of his treasures to his little brother in an attempt to make him happy, if only for a fleeting moment.  His maturity and sweetness left me in a bit of awe both times.  I love how he loves...
• Gokey is exceedingly stubborn...I am sure that is a trait credited to his daddy's side (I can hear J saying, "he gets that from his momma," as I type this).  This piece of information almost comes as a surprise to me.  I guess it kind of sneaked up on me.  He was such a chill, laid-back baby and seemed to just go with the flow.  Maybe it's just that lovely toddler phase he is in right now, but after my nightly struggles with him while away (and having my mom as a witness to this stubbornness) I now know that  he will be a challenge...one that I look forward to molding! :) 

He's a natural rock-climber!

Dirt...evidence of a good time!

FREEZING!

Didn't seem to bother them!

Breaking sticks and sword fighting with Gigi

GG'ma educating the boys on pinecones...

Svetlana (Gigi's cousin's wife) helping Gokey

Steve (another of Gigi's cousins) snagging Gokey on the way down

Uncle Bob and Aunt Karol

Gokey & X-man making a birthday cake out of woodchips with
Logan and Ilyn belonging to some of my long lost Denver friends!

Gigi teaching the boys how to roll down a hill

Unfortunately Gokey found the muck at the bottom of the hill

One of my BFF's, Becky with her momma, Barb

Gokey was a fan of Grandma Barb :)

This was waiting for us at home when we arrived...I think he missed us! :)