Potty training day #3

This week we decided that it was time. He was ready and I was as ready as I'll ever be! So we pulled out the potty, stocked up on big boy undies and began. Tuesday started off with 4 accidents, 12 successes. Wednesday was 4 accidents, 11 successes (including a dinner out), and today has only been 2 accidents so far (as of 4:00). He has stayed dry for nap all 3 days. This definitely won't be an overnight transformation, but we are moving in the right direction and I am so proud of him! And a bonus, little boys in their character undies are probably the cutest thing ever! 

Half birthday celebration

I am a firm believer that birthdays are too fun to only celebrate once a year. Thus, the half birthday celebrations begin! Today was our wild, crazy, hilarious, sweet, energetic, witty little boy's 2 1/2 birthday. 

What better way to celebrate than going to the library, followed by the search for the perfect cake, lunch at the Pizza Hut buffet, and a Curious George movie marathon?! This boy keeps us on our toes and melts my heart on a constant basis. I love him more than he could possibly ever know. I had ideas of what our future kids might be like, before they came along, and I couldn't have possibly dreamed up a more perfect little boy for our family. 

Some 2.5 year stats: 

Favorite movie: Toy Story, Cars,Mike the Knight, Nemo

Favorite food: fruit snacks, cheese sticks, squeezies, any kind of fruit

Height: 37 inches

Weight: 30 pounds

Favorite book: Duck on a Bike, Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?

Favorite toy: Ocean (pretend horse), tractors/cars

Loves: playing outside, running, his sister, watching movies, wearing daddy's shoes, helping mommy do things, taking bubble baths, Popsicles, going to the park, any kind of animals, his family, tractors, to laugh!, ice cream trucks

Hates: taking naps, having to sit still, being told "no", messes, waiting (I kind of just described every 2 year old ever, minus the messes, but it's all true!)

He is so typical boy and all about having fun! He makes me so frustrated and so proud all in the same day, and yet, I wouldn't change a single thing about him! We love you big boy! 

Meet Ocean

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Ocean. 

Yes, Ocean is a horse. Yes, Ocean is black and white. And yes, Porter named him. I have no idea why. (Sidenote: he also informed Sean and I today that he would like a pet cat that he will name Rain. I know!) Anyways, Porter has loved riding pretend horses around the house and playing cowboy for a while now. He is obsessed with the Toy Story movies and Woody is a cowboy. So we went to the toy store on Monday and let him pick out his very own horse. He puts Ocean to sleep on a cushion with a blanket for every nap and bedtime. Ocean is always in whatever room Porter is in. He says Ocean eats carrots and sprinkles. People, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried! Anyways, we will see how long the obsession with Ocean lasts. In the meantime, he is pretty darn adorable riding that thing around here ;) 

Best friend weekend

I think if you find that one special friend that you can "do life with" and you're able to pick up where you left off, no matter how long it is in between seeing each other, then you can call yourself lucky. That friend, my best friend Becca, and her family came to spend the weekend with us and we had so much fun. The kids are at ages that they are very different, but can still have fun together (Skylar- 17 months, Porter- 2.5 years, Savannah- 9 months). We had a lot of playtime here, we went to an apple orchard on Sunday, went out to dinner and to the toy store on Monday, and finished off our visit with more playtime at home. Such good quality time! I am so thankful to have such sweet friend to share our lives with! Here's our visit in picture form... 

(Wedding slide show black mail ;)

(Our best attempt at getting 2 wiggly boys to be still) 

(Arranged marriage?!)

Brother sister fun

I love watching our babies play together and I am so thankful for the special bond that they share! They are truly each others best friend and I just can't get enough of them! They do get frustrated with each other occasionally, but for the most part, they play really well together... 

Cheap entertainment

I think any mama of a toddler could attest to the importance of finding ways to entertain said toddler for hours and on a budget. It's been raining a lot lately, yet he still craves outside time, so we had to start looking a little harder. Thankfully our porch has an overhang that allows 3 feet or so of the deck to be covered in the rain. That paired with a bag of rice and some measuring cups made our afternoon yesterday a lot more pleasant. He loved stacking, pouring, and lining things up. So this was right up his little engineer-minded alley ;)

Mountain summers

Being back in the mountains has made me realize how much I missed mild summers with so little humidity! It makes it so much more feasible to play outside and go for walks. And play outside we have! These babies are loving playing in water, going on walks, enjoying Popsicles, sitting on the porch (like true southern children ought to) and sight seeing in the neighborhood. I'm so thankful for a safe, family-friendly neighborhood that allows us to do just that! 

Toddler adventures

Even without leaving the house, Porter seemed to find plenty of things to explore this week... 

...he made cookies, 

...he played in the rain, 

...he packed for a trip to Nonni's (so he says), 

...he swiped my phone and took a few (or 23) self portraits, 

...he climbed in and out of sissys jumper 1,265,386 times, 

And those were just the moments that I captured on camera. This boy keeps a mama on her toes ;)

Popsicle summer nights

Having two small children has a way of making us learn to appreciate the little things in life all over again. I have to say, having Popsicles on the back porch is way cooler when you have a 2 year old that thinks Popsicles are basically magic, joining you! Such sweet times and fun memories! And yes, he even snuck his sissy a little taste of his Popsicle, sweet thing! Messy times seem to make the best memories! There are certain moments that I know are etched in my memory bank forever. This was one :)