August: a month of firsts

I can't believe summer is practically over. It almost seems like we didn't have a summer--we didn't do any real traveling, no long vacations, George was working most of the time and most days were spent hanging out at home. I guess the laziness has been nice, though, and I find myself missing the easy come and go of the summer days now that school has started and we're rushing here, there, and everywhere trying to get people to various obligations.

August was the month of firsts.

First #1: Cole got his hair cut by a barber. 

The only other time he had a trim George had done it and while Cole did as well as could be expected for a toddler experiencing something scary and new, I was convinced being at a barber shop would make it a better experience. Cole was excited all the way there and when we walked it, but as soon as it was his turn to sit in the big chair, he changed his mind.

20 minutes of crying and moving and a $7 tip later, Cole walked out with a cute haircut and a lollipop like it was no big thing, leaving behind not just one, but two employees who had received quite the workout. Whew. Hopefully next time will be better. :)

Speaking of Cole, he is convinced he needs to "tinkle in the toilet". I should be really excited about this precociousness, but I'll admit the idea of potty training another little person is NOT appealing at the moment. I will help him when he asks and occasionally I'll venture a "do you want to sit on the toilet?" when he wakes up in the morning, but beyond that we haven't officially started. I don't think he's ever really even gone in the toilet--he'll climb up there all big and proud, sit for a minute then say he's done and flush. And flush. And usually flush again, just for good measure. George and I will occasionally find him running around the house sans bottoms with him proudly saying "I tinkle in the toilet." One day at Church we were waiting in the foyer for Sacrament Meeting to end (as usual), when Cole suddenly disappeared. George ran around trying to find him and after a couple minutes comes back to me with a grin, saying I needed to go see what's in the women's bathroom. I open the door to this:

When you need to go, you need to go, I guess. We both thought it was hysterical.

First #2: George installed crown molding in three rooms, laid tile in the bathroom and even pulled up the toilet to do it. I have been very impressed with all the handiwork he's done around the house. I love how he's turning our house into a home. Love that man.

This summer has been the summer of Busch Gardens. By the time September rolled around, we had gone about four times! The kids beg to go almost every day, especially Cole who adores the train. We've been lucky enough in scheduling that we've been able to go with the Elmers twice--quite the feat when you take into account George and Aric's work schedules.

Hanging out in Elmo's World while we waited for the Elmers to get there.

Lance and Killian on Loch Ness:

Cooling off at Land of the Dragons:

Teacups: I love the faces the boys are making. They are having a ball! Lucky for them Daddy was there to spin them so fast.

Lance is growing into such a wonderful young man. He's a big helper for me around the house and especially with Lily. Love it!

Cole's latest obsession is Thomas the Tank Engine. Lance went through a similar stage around this age and now Cole is loving all the tracks and movie we collected over the years. He sleeps with a Thomas every night and is almost never without a large Thomas engine (he drags it to stores and into bed with him). 

His obsession goes so deep that whenever he sees anything blue, it's not "a blue truck," it's "a Thomas truck!" or if the object is green, it's a "Percy ____".


First #3: Lance's first day of 3rd Grade! 

August 20th was a big "first" day for Lance: first day of school after the summer, first day of 3rd grade, and first day at a new school. He was quite concerned about leaving Greer behind to begin school at Cale--to the point of tears the night before--but he bravely faced his first day and came home with a smile and announced he had already made a couple friends! A mother's prayers were answered. He's excelling as is usual for him and seems to enjoy his class, although mornings are still rough. I think we've caught the bus three times, most days opting for an extra 20 minutes of sleep and a drive to school.


First #4: Bender's first day at the park!
We're trying to socialize Bender with new places and people so we've made an effort to take him everywhere we can, even if it's a bit of a burden. I'm hopeful it'll pay off in the long run and make him a good dog that does well in every situation.

Bringing a puppy with you is fun because everyone wants to pet him or ask about him. He's a cute little guy and approachable so most kids were excited to see him and love on him a bit.


First #5: Lily is officially crawling!!
 She's been scooting for forever it seems, but by the end of August she was taking real "steps" with her arms and legs. It's so cute to see her crawl around.

I love this picture. They're both sticking their tongues out. :)

We are loving our puppy!


First #6: Lily's first trip to the splash pad!
I used to take Jude and Lance here all the time and I know I took Cole a few times too, but this was the first time this summer we went. Lily took a few minutes to warm up but soon enjoyed the water and splashing in it.

Jude and Cole? They played for two hours straight without a break. They couldn't get enough.

And this little baby ignored the water and opted for a nap in the shade.

First #7: Lily's first bubble bath!

She thought it was awesome!

Big brothers decided to join in.

Wow, it's getting a bit crowded in here!

And First #8? At less than 8 months old, Lily is already pulling herself up to standing! Stop it, crazy girl! At this rate, you'll walk by 9 months like Lance.

First #9: our first trip with the dog overnight.
Nate was in town for the weekend, so we packed up the kids and the dog and drove to Ashburn to hang out for about 36 hours before George had to get back so he could work. We were a little worried about Diesel and Bender, but after a few minutes, they worked it all out and by the end of the trip were playing together.

Lance wanted to join in the doggie fun.

We stopped by my mom's house to see her and Stephen while we were there. Mom gave Lance his special gift from her trip with Stephen to Europe: coins from all the countries they visited.

Uncle Stephen explaining some of them:

This dog misses Nate so much when he's away.

And finally, First #10: Cole's first trip to the dentist!
After his experience with the barber, I was worried about how it would go at the dentist, but all in all, Cole did a good job. He sure was excited about the blue chair!

And the cool sunglasses.

Not so excited about the tooth-brushing, but he didn't cry and after a bit of coaxing did well.

(You can see Lance in the background. Both he and Jude had appointments at the same time which made it nicer for Cole.)

Woo Hoo! On to September!

Welcome home, Bender!

After years of promising and waiting, we finally got our dog!

We picked him up at 10 weeks old from a lady in Palmyra. Her Australian Shepherd had a little rendezvous with the neighbor's black lab and tada! 10 puppies. 

Bender's family for the first 10 weeks of his life:

Lance was at his dad's house when we brought him home so Jude and Cole got some one-on-one time with the little guy.

It was cute to see a puppy running around our yard. We got to surprise Lance that evening when he came home. He wasn't expecting the puppy for another day.

Amy was in town for a convention and she stopped by to say hello. It's always fun having her!

Look at that sweet face!

The boys are totally enamored by him. It's really cute. Lance is convinced Bender loves him the best. :)

 Poor baby can't even get rest when he's asleep.

The first full day we had him, Lance wanted to take him to the creek in our neighborhood. Bender is part water dog so I figured he'd take to the creek like, well, a water dog. Nope.

 He did NOT like that water a bit and would march right out and climb into my lap whenever Lance got him and placed him in it. (We have since taken him back a couple times and he's warmed up to it.)

 So, the boys played while Bender, Lily and I watched. And yes, Lance is just in his undies. 

So far, it's been fairly easy, although every day there comes a point where I question what I was thinking getting a dog with three boys and a baby. Bender's pretty smart and is catching on fast, though. It's so cute to see him sit, shake and lay down on command. Now we just need to work on a consistent "come".

Puppies really are like toddlers. They run around happily in their own little world and think everything is interesting.

One of my favorite things about Bender is he's a snuggler. He thinks he's a lap dog and if I sit down, he crawls right into my lap. I love it. I probably won't love it as much when he weighs 40 lbs.

We are loving our little puppy!

I think he's going to fit right in. :)