The Cousins...Part 1

Kreed, 10 years old

Dawson, 7 years old

Ryker, 5 years old

THIS Is What You Call Dirty!!

End of the day dirty feet after playing with the cousins! This is what you call playing hard!

Mud Pie Anyone?

Beau and Nathan playing in the mud.

I am honestly, not sure Nathan knew what to really make of playing in the mud...I don't think he was used to the concept of that (city kid!)...but he warmed up real quick!

"Ride Motorcycle?"

Nathan - gearing up for his first ride on the 4 wheeler. He didn't like the helmet at first, but he warmed up to it as he realized he had to wear one to ride the "motorcycle".

His first ride on the 4 wheeler...Melissa took him. Apparently he was fine with the ride, until I was out of sight. Then he started crying...and insisted that I take him for rides after that. Soon, though....he really liked it when his Uncle Matthew took him....

Riding with Matthew.

Whew! Much Needed Update!

Nathan and I went to Utah to visit the Frentheway Crew for a couple of weeks. What fun we had! We went to the zoo, Seven Peaks (water park), on a couple of picnics, to parks, we rode on 4 wheelers, played with cousins, looked at houses (for Matt and Melissa...not us...). We ran threw the sprinklers, missed naps, played in the mud, jumped on the trampoline, fed the dog, and pretty much just exhausted ourselves! It was soooo much fun, for both of us! I really wish we lived closer to them so that it could be more of an everyday occurrence, rather than every year and a half.

(From left: Beau, Nathan - I couldn't get him to look at the camera! - Kreed, holding Baby Riggs, Ryker, and Dawson)

Nathan enjoyed himself too ;) I think the first couple of days he was a little overwhelmed by all the cousins and freedom...but after that he really warmed up to the nonstop action. Of course, his obsession with the garage door did not disappear (though he isn't much interested in it upon our return home, which is a good thing for me!). In fact, I think he lost Melissa's opener somewhere around their house (sorry Mel!). The Frentheway Crew are big into motorcycles and 4 wheelers and bikes and such...so there was a bike of every kind for Nathan to try out. He really enjoyed riding on the 4 wheeler. At first he only wanted me to take him for rides, but he soon warmed up to letting Matthew drive him around. In fact, everyday now that we are home, he often says "Matthew...go fast...on 'tractor motorcycle'." And everyday he asks when we are going to go "visit the boys" again on an airplane. All the kids were very sweet to Nathan...and Nathan loves them dearly!

It was a great trip! I don't think I took enough pictures, but it was just so hard to capture every moment...when it happened. Hopefully it won't take another year and a half to get back out there for a visit...it should at least be a summer tradition! Thanks Frentheway Crew for having us for so long! :)

Changes....

Yes, you read that correctly...it says "I'm the big brother."
Get it?
Here, I'll give you a few seconds to comprehend the meaning....

~one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand~

NOW, do you get it? ;)
Yes...soon...in early 2009, Ice Ice Baby will become Ice Ice BABIES.

New Favorite Game

Nathan's new favorite game is to get all the cushions and pillows off the couch, and jump, run, lounge, play all over them. It has become his nightly routine...and he LOVES it! He has recently started wanting to go "night, night" on the pillows. Right now, he accepts the "no, lets go night, night in your bed." excuse...I am sure at some point he will start INSISTING on "night, night" on the pillows....

Which means it is time for Father/Son "camping" in the TV Room! ;)

Aaaarrrrg!

...And just like a real lawn mower, it doesn't always work accordingly. Nathan has certainly learned that lesson already. I am not sure what it wasn't doing that he wanted it to, but he was not happy with it. He even picked it up and threw it to the ground...he was pretty mad!

Then, after a couple of seconds, he picked it up and started mowing the lawn again. Miraculously, the thing was cooperating!

New Favorite Toy

Ahhh, the lawnmower. After weeks and weeks of Nathan wanting to "start lawn mower" after opening the garage door...I decided to drop $15 at the toy store and get him a lawn mower of his very own (I WISH they sold kid size garage doors!). This one is supposed to blow bubbles, but Nathan just doesn't have time for that. As you can see, he has very serious business to attend to.

Keep in mind that while I was taking these pictures, Jonathon was mowing the lawn just a few feet away, but I couldn't get them together as Nathan will only go so close to the real lawn mower when it is running.

Two Crazy Kids

It's Summer...which means the splash parks and pools are open! Which also means...LOTS and LOTS of water/summer pictures to look forward to!

Yesterday we went to the downtown splash park with Collette and Alexa Mortenson. It was a little packed, and Nathan was a little unsure of the water (it is still a bit chilly). Needless to say, he and Alexa managed to have a great time hanging out in the shade. :)

(Don't be alarmed at how red Nathan's face is. He DOES have sunscreen on...he just has my skin tone, which means his face turns red when he gets even a little hot)

Summer Buzzzzzzz

The other day, Nathan woke up with an entire head of hair...we are talking an entire head of hair. It was like, all of the sudden his hair was totally out of control and thick and long. So, we decided to buzz it all off. I was a little nervous as to how he would look with a buzz cut (and also nervous about the reaction from grandparents and great grandparents and aunts and uncles...). I, personally, think it is cute (and Oh So Easy!!!). The person who gave him the haircut didn't do that great of a job...BUT...it will grow ;)

What do you think?

Skin Treatment

Sooo, apparently, in Nathan's Word, there is a new skin care treatment that includes spaghetti sauce....and rubbing it on your face. ;)

I really, honestly, do not know how he got it ALL over his entire face (and IN his ears), but he did! He is very talented! It took a very long bath and a lot of scrubbing to get it all off, and even then his skin was a tad bit stained....

Big Bucket O' Dirt

Bathtub Fun!

Just Because...

Picture of the Day

Look What I Found!

Look who has discovered my makeup bag? It is now his favorite thing to play with when we are getting ready in the morning. His favorite thing in my makeup bag? You guessed it...the lipstick...or anything that has to do with applying to the lips. I am really not sure where he learned that the lipstick goes on his lips because I RARELY even wear the stuff...but apparently he picked it up from somewhere.

In the blood

I believe the subject title says it all. Golf. Already an obsession.

Big Helper

Nathan is getting to the age where I can ask him to start helping me with chores around the house...and he enjoys it (take advantage of this, I know!). So yesterday we went to the Grocery. He was very helpful and sat in the little grocery cart car and ate his "crackers" while I meandered around Kroger, trying to push this semi-truck sized cart. He didn't fuss at all, and was very helpful in making sure that I wasn't feeling lonely by turning around and yelling "Hi, Mama!" over and over again. ;)

Anyways, when we got home he really really really wanted to go and open and close the garage door (because he NEVER wants to do that...ever! ;)). I told him that we could go outside and open the garage door AFTER we got all the groceries put away. He seemed to totally understand and was very eager to help. So...I put him to work. I had purchased some toilet paper for both bathrooms, so I asked him to take one of the t.p. packages and put it on the steps so that I could take it upstairs when I go. He did this with excitement. Excitement that he was big enough to help, and excitement that once we got the groceries put away, he could go outside and open the garage door. Once he put the t.p. on the steps, he ran back to the kitchen to find out what his next chore was. I gave him the second package of t.p. and told him to go put it in the bathroom down stairs. Which he did with the same excitement as he did with the first package of t.p. Except...he didn't run back to the kitchen...which I found as odd. So I continued to put some groceries away, losing myself in the "how the heck am i going to fit all this stuff in the freezer" thought that I seem to go through everytime I go to the grocery and get stuff we "need". Realizing that Nathan was not yet back from taking the t.p. to the downstairs bathroom, I decided that I had better go check on him to see what he was doing (it was awfully quiet!). So...I walked to the bathroom....and this is what I found:

Apparently the word "bathroom" means "toilet" to Nathan. Which makes sense, because we do say "going to the bathroom". And oh yes...he was flushing the toilet, trying to get the t.p. to go down. You could tell he was a little confused as to how to make it go down, so that he could finish his chore and go outside to open the garage door. :)

Candy?

Every day, at least once a day...normally when Nathan wakes from his afternoon nap...the following conversation occurs:

Nathan: Candy? Candy? Candy?

Me: No candy, how about a snack?

Nathan: Garage door?

And by "candy" he means Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The mini ones. He LOVES them! I normally let him have two or three a day...and he insists on opening them himself. I was able to catch the special moment he has while opening his candy....as you can see, it is a very private, intimate moment for the little guy.

(Also: notice the tiny bit of chocolate on his mouth...)

Pool Party!

Gianna the Diva. :)

Gianna

Ahh Gianna. Quite the diva already, but oh so adorable! Gianna is the granddaughter of one of Beth/Grand-Mom's friends. Gianna and Nathan are 9 months apart (Gianna, being older). While in Arizona, we got the kids together and let them play in the park and then go swimming...I have to say, 9 months doesn't seem like much, but Gianna is a true little girl. She doesn't have any "toddler" in her at all. It was fun to see what Nathan will be doing when he is 9 months older. I didn't even think that at some point even the word "toddler" would no longer describe my little baby boy. I guess pretty soon he will just...be...a boy.

What a sweet, sweet boy.

O-R-E-O

So while we were in Arizona visiting my Mom (more photos to come of our trip, I promise!), Nathan discovered the glorious goodness of the OREO. She had the little individual size packages of the mini-Oreos...perfect for little toddler hands. Anyways, as you can see, Nathan enjoyed them, immensely. He ate them as if they were a delicacy. It was quite entertaining.

Garage Door...Open?

Nathan's new name is "Rainman". For those of you that have been around him in the last two weeks, you know exactly what I am talking about. He is obsessed with the garage door. Slightly scared of it, but completely, 100% OBSESSED with it. It is all he talks about. All he dreams about. All he wants to do. The following is what I hear a minimum of 1,000 times on any given day:

Me: Hiii, Nathan....

Nathan: Garage door? Open garage door? Close garage door? Open it? Close it? Garage door...?

It is garage door, all the time around here. Once it is opened, he wants to close it. Today, I just gave him the garage door opener and let him go to town....he stood at the door, looked out the window and opened it, then closed it. Opened it, then closed it. Then he would run to me and tell me about it. Then he wanted me to watch him do it. Then he would open it and close it. Open. Close. Open. Close. Open. Close. (I know, I know. It isn't good for the garage door. I know. But after the 2nd week of hearing "Open garage door" every 30 seconds, all day long, my ears are about ready to fall off and I have run out of excuses and energy to explain to him why we cannot open the garage door.)

And it isn't just our garage door...it is everyone he knows. He asks if we can open and close the garage door where ever we go, and whomever we go to visit.

It was cute about a week ago...now it is...just well...exhausting. :)

Picture of the Day

Life is rough.

Arizona Fun!

Ahhhhhhhh!

Mmmmmm, water!

Just me and my Uncle Zane.

We jetted off to Arizona last Thursday for the Annual Grandparent Visit. My Mom met us at the airport and we proceed to make ourselves at home at her house...and at the pool (thanks Uncle Zane for getting us in for FREE!). Nathan has LOVED the warm weather and being able to spend all day outdoors. Grandma Frentheway has a pretty large backyard with a pool, a really nice swing set and lots and lots of rocks to fill the fountain. Tomorrow we trek up to Scottsdale to stay 3 days with Grand-Mom and Grand-Dad. That will surely bring more fun in the pool and the Arizona sun!

Mmmmm, Dirt!

Contemplative

Photo Fun

Time Out

The Time Out Corner. We don't use it too often, but as you can see, he has quickly gotten the hang of the purpose for it. I will say that Nathan in Time Out is quite possibly the sweetest thing ever. I know, I know, it isn't supposed to be a sweet thing. It is supposed to be "a teaching tool" and it is...but the little guy will quietly go there, stick his nose in the corner, and about half way through will start picking at the bricks. It is bittersweet.