Here is our family Christmas photo, thank you to my Sister Kellie for getting the best shot possible!
Merry Christmas!
Santa finally came and the boys received a ridiculously amount of presents, I lost count after 30. Considering they both have double ear infections and strep throat, they seemed to have a great time. Every year my wish is for a cute picture of the boys together and every year it fails. Here are my two goofballs on Christmas.....
Here is our family Christmas photo, thank you to my Sister Kellie for getting the best shot possible!
Here is our family Christmas photo, thank you to my Sister Kellie for getting the best shot possible!
WRESTLEMANIA!
Grandpa came over for a visit and brought some pizza too. It started off as a nice little visit........
AND THEN TURNED INTO THIS!
AND THEN TURNED INTO THIS!
Three Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed!
Last week we went out to some friends of ours to see their new house. Their duaghter Lillee is Taylor's girlfriend. Here is our three little monkeys....
20 Months
So i broke out the picture flash cards with Taylor and decided to see what he could do. Usually he just dumps them out all over the floor and throws them around. This time i took one out at a time and asked, "What is this?" while showing him the picture card. If he got it right I would scream and cheer and he sat anxiously waiting for the next one. I was floored by his knowledge and verbal skills. There were 40 picture cards and he got 32 of them right the first time. Here are all the words he is saying: monkey, snake, crab, bathtub, dog, flower, turtle, bed, tiger, sink, slide, hat, bird, bike, ball, pig, pants, boat, car, truck,swing, lion, cake, ketchup, hot dog, work, coat,eat,go, shoes, and shit. I am writing this post for my own sake, so i have a memory of what Taylor was like at this age. I didn't journal Riley at this age and I wish I had. So I'm not boasting but just writing for a keepsake, because my baby is no longer a baby:(
Boys will be boys
The boys have come to love swords and after many many outings to Target I gave in and bought the darn things. I hate them! Couldn't we do some painting or play with playdough, or Barbies?? We are obviously too cool for an art project, instead we like to try to beat the crap out of each other, and oh yeah knock down the living room blinds 50 times a day. I think this was the worst investment I have made:)
Notice the blind on the floor in the background, I think Santa might magically take the swords with him when he leaves!
Notice the blind on the floor in the background, I think Santa might magically take the swords with him when he leaves!
What the boys have been up to....
Riley finished his fall soccer with the North Oaks Mini Kickers and he seemed to enjoy it. He is excelling in school and improving on becoming more self sufficient. Tantrums are still a major issue but there are days where he goes without. He is a full chatter box and comes up with very elaborate ideas and stories. He also started swimming lessons and seems to really look forward to them. We got our first big snow last weekend and I bundled the boys up to go play out in the snow. riley lasted about 10 seconds and then started screaming that he was to cold. as we were walking in he said, " i want to open presents now." Apparently when it snows that means it is Christmas. When it stops snowing, Christmas is over with.
Taylor, well hmmm, is getting more and more physical by the minute. He is just non-stop energy and love. He has the sweetest personality and has begun to voice what he wants or where he wants to go. he has decided that he really just likes to drink out of a 20oz soda bottle and nothing else. His vocabulary is also growing by the second and he is one bright little munkin!
Taylor, well hmmm, is getting more and more physical by the minute. He is just non-stop energy and love. He has the sweetest personality and has begun to voice what he wants or where he wants to go. he has decided that he really just likes to drink out of a 20oz soda bottle and nothing else. His vocabulary is also growing by the second and he is one bright little munkin!
Itchy Butt Store
Riley and I ran to the post office on Saturday morning, in the middle of the tropical storm we were in. The minute we get in line, Riley starts screaming, " My butt itches, my butt itches, I NEED TO GO TO THE ITCHY BUTT STORE, THE ITCHY BUTT STORE, THE ITCHY BUTT STORE...." it got louder and more intense as he went on. Needless to say, we didn't wait in line, as all of the people in the post office were now staring at me. I left with Riley screaming to the entire building, " I'm going to the itchy butt store!" I have no idea where he came up with the idea, but Riley is convinced that when you have an itch you go the itchy store and when you have a itchy butt you go to the itchy butt store. So far age 3 has been more challenging than 2, and it is exhausting to think that in 4 months I will have a 2 year old and a 3 year old ! UGH! I guess I will just hope for the best and count my blessing each day:)
Happy Halloween! ( A Little late:))
Hope you all had a wonderful and safe Halloween. We went to a birthday party in the afternoon, for Riley's friend Madison who turned 3 ! All the kids were so cute in their costumes, and they didn't even really get why they were dressed so funny. Riley was Batman, and he didn't just wear his costume but he played the part. He really thought he was Batman and took his role seriously. We got loads of candy and ended up with a tired dinosaur and an even more tired Batman.
Taylor decided he wanted to ride Maddy's new bike, so we had a green dinosaur on a bike cruising around for most of the afternoon.
Today in the car
Riley: "Baby Lucas is my sister not Taylor, and oh boy he is one nice baby."
Me: "Riley, Lucas is your new cousin, not your sister."
Riley: " Oh that baby Lucas and I had a picnic, he had to go to the hospital because he had a bad owie on his head but then we had a picnic and he got so much better. Taylor is not my sister anymore, just Lucas. Pretty soon Lucas will go on the scary rollercoaster with me, and fly in the plane, and play soccer too!"
I guess Riley has high hopes for his new sister.... or I mean cousin!
Me: "Riley, Lucas is your new cousin, not your sister."
Riley: " Oh that baby Lucas and I had a picnic, he had to go to the hospital because he had a bad owie on his head but then we had a picnic and he got so much better. Taylor is not my sister anymore, just Lucas. Pretty soon Lucas will go on the scary rollercoaster with me, and fly in the plane, and play soccer too!"
I guess Riley has high hopes for his new sister.... or I mean cousin!
A Star Is Born
Riley and Taylor are proud to announce the birth of their very first cousin! Lucas Keith Chamberlain was born last week and the boys are so excited to have a cousin. I am sure by next summer the three boys will be best of friends. Lucas was born three weeks early but weighed in at 6 pounds 4 ounces and is doing great. Auntie Nikki is also doing wonderful and is adjusting to the new life as a mom. Congrats to Nikki and Keith, Lucas is adorable.
Here is Lucas at 12 hours old, trying to suck his thumb!
Lucas with daddy!
I'm going to spoil you little guy!
Here is Lucas at 12 hours old, trying to suck his thumb!
Lucas with daddy!
I'm going to spoil you little guy!
soccer practice
Here is the new North Oaks 3 year old soccer team!
Riley started his new soccer team, which meets right after school is done. He really seems to love it, and looks forward to it every week. I have to bring Taylor with me to watch, and this week Taylor decided that he would join the team. The coach gave Tay a ball and I hate to say it but he was one of the best players on the field. The kid has coordination.
Here is Riley in action!
Tay showing off his skills.
Tay taking charge of the team.
Riley started his new soccer team, which meets right after school is done. He really seems to love it, and looks forward to it every week. I have to bring Taylor with me to watch, and this week Taylor decided that he would join the team. The coach gave Tay a ball and I hate to say it but he was one of the best players on the field. The kid has coordination.
Here is Riley in action!
Tay showing off his skills.
Tay taking charge of the team.
"BEND YOUR KNEES!"
Growing up I played basketball, not just a little bit but year round for 18 years. At everyone of my games, as I was shooting a freethrow my mom would scream, "Bend your knees Chels!" That was always her advice, not quite sure why she felt the need to scream it from the bleachers everytime I shot the ball, but it was a nice gesture of advice! When we went to the state fair this year we checked out the MN sports building and I snapped this shot of Taylor and it reminded me of my mom and her advice. Will I be the mom in the crowd who yells "bend your knees"???
Nature walks
We live across the street from a rather large pond. The boys have come to love the ducks, turtles, deer, and beavers that live in the pond. Anytime we go outside to get into the car, Taylor has to say hello to the duckies and blow them kisses. Taylor has a special bond with the ducks, a bond that I can't use words to describe. He will sit or stand for hours and talk to "his" ducks. He often cries when we don't have time to go visit the ducks. I often talk about the big crocodile that lives in the pond, which seems to be working to keep the boys out of the water. We fed the ducks every Saturday morning and each week more and more come. I'm not sure how we are going to handle the winter months without the ducks! Most afternoons I take the boys on a nature walk, mostly for the exercise and the educational value. THEY LOVE THESE WALKS!
Saturday morning feed.
Riley often tells me that he was in the jungle and he wasn't even scared. Today as we were entering North Oaks to go to school, Riley asked, " Mom what is this jungle called?" I explained to him that it was the North Oaks jungle and he gets to go to school there this whole year. Today was also the start of the first day of the North Oaks soccer team, made up of 3 year old boys and girls. It was pouring rain so they canceled, so next Thursday the team will take the field after class.
Riley not to happy about the group shot.....
Other updates:
Riley is starting to read. I realize that it is word recognition and memory but still the time I have invested in books is starting to pay off. He can also write his name, spell his name, and complete dot to dot exercises. He is learning Spanish in school so I better start studying! Every night before bed, we practice tracing letters, and learning new sounds.
Taylor is 18 months and has learned that public restrooms are quite a lot of fun. As I am trying to hurry to use the bathroom he has climbed under the stall and is splashing away in another toilet. Taylor's vocabulary is expanding by the day and he can easily say 50 plus words. He also says "thank you" and "excuse me". ( my boys may never be clean but they will have proper mannors!) Both boys are looking forward to Halloween, the costumes are already bought and hung.
Saturday morning feed.
Riley often tells me that he was in the jungle and he wasn't even scared. Today as we were entering North Oaks to go to school, Riley asked, " Mom what is this jungle called?" I explained to him that it was the North Oaks jungle and he gets to go to school there this whole year. Today was also the start of the first day of the North Oaks soccer team, made up of 3 year old boys and girls. It was pouring rain so they canceled, so next Thursday the team will take the field after class.
Riley not to happy about the group shot.....
Other updates:
Riley is starting to read. I realize that it is word recognition and memory but still the time I have invested in books is starting to pay off. He can also write his name, spell his name, and complete dot to dot exercises. He is learning Spanish in school so I better start studying! Every night before bed, we practice tracing letters, and learning new sounds.
Taylor is 18 months and has learned that public restrooms are quite a lot of fun. As I am trying to hurry to use the bathroom he has climbed under the stall and is splashing away in another toilet. Taylor's vocabulary is expanding by the day and he can easily say 50 plus words. He also says "thank you" and "excuse me". ( my boys may never be clean but they will have proper mannors!) Both boys are looking forward to Halloween, the costumes are already bought and hung.
Lunch
Today at the lunch table this is what the conversation was:
Riley( as he is picking up his grape) " I love you grape but I have to eat you."
Taylor(as he is slinging his noodle across the living room) " Shit"
Riley (picks up his second grape) "Oh you are really a grand grape but I must eat you too."
Taylor (with a handful of noodles in his hand and throws them at Riley) "YEAH!!"
It was a wonderful and charming lunch we shared, thanks boys!
Riley( as he is picking up his grape) " I love you grape but I have to eat you."
Taylor(as he is slinging his noodle across the living room) " Shit"
Riley (picks up his second grape) "Oh you are really a grand grape but I must eat you too."
Taylor (with a handful of noodles in his hand and throws them at Riley) "YEAH!!"
It was a wonderful and charming lunch we shared, thanks boys!
Splash park!!
One of the favorite things that the boys love to do is go to the new splash park in St. Anthony. It is totally free and has a playground, and a water splash pad. We have gone often and every time the boys get a little more daring in what they do. We were watching our friends daughter Lilee who just turned one, so we decided to head to the splash park, three kids in tow. ( I was pretty much in heaven having a little girl to dote around!) We all had a good time, although having a 12 month old, a 17 month old, and a 3 year old running around the park was a little hectic. Matt and I would often make eye contact from far away and then realize we were missing one. We both would scan the park and thankfully they never got loose.
Here is sweet Lilee with her new Barbie shades!
Riley decided he could climb the climbing rope tower, and did farely well!
Lily going wild in the water!
Okay I think I need a little girl!!!!
Need I say more....
Of course no outing would be complete without some fighting....
My Litle Ring bearers
This is a late post, but I was reminded by my grandma that I have not posted pictures of the boys in their first wedding!
The Slice of Shoreview
We took the boys to the "slice" of Shoreview and they had a ball. They both rode many rides and Taylor even went on the big ferris wheel. The whole time he was saying, "WHEEEEEEE". Riley decided he was ready to do the bungy jumping. The age limit was 8, but Riley charmed the owner into letting him do it. He did great and was very proud of himself. An old man had an antique train that he pulled with his tractor. Each boxcar was only big enough for one child, so I put Riley in one car and Taylor in another. Matt and I watched as they rode the train, and then I noticed Taylor standing up in his boxcar. Then I noticed some bouncing in his legs, he thought he would try to leap off the car while it was in motion.
Here we are on the Flintstones ride, the only ride I could stomach.
This is the boys on the old mans' train. Shortly after this was taken Taylor was standing up and jumping!
Riley jumping on the bungy ride! (Notice the age of the kids waiting in line!)
Taylor loved the big slide, and Matt was a trooper he ended up going down several times.
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