overdue

I'm not even sure where to begin. I thought that I'd be posting a lot, but life has sort of gotten in the way. I spend my days at school, chasing some really awesome 5th graders around and eating bon-bons (that's code for working my TAIL off, not getting a second to even sit down, and still having hours of work ahead of me at home). Then I pick up my own adorable kiddos, take them home and chase them around my dirty house until daddy gets home from work, or it's their bedtime...whichever comes first. On days when I'm particularly fried, I rely on the computer, not Calgon, to take me away. Shane calls me "gamer". I'm addicted to games on fb--I especially love Fluffy--it's kind of my escape. Line up and match colorful, cartoon birds...build goofy rooms in a birdhouse...repeat. Mindless, just what I am craving.

School has been a bit overwhelming to say the least. Like I said, I have an awesome class, and I love my school, but I'm still learning the new grade level. Thank goodness I get to work with my BFF...truly don't know what I'd do without her. :) I LOVE YOU NIKKI!!

My own kids are great, I'm the one who can't keep up! Calder is now 16 mo. old and unloading the dishwasher, opening the refrigerator, and climbing up on our counter-height stools are his 3 favorite things at the moment. Caydree would rather be playing outside with the neighborhood kids, than hanging with us in here. This just makes little bro jealous, so then we go outside too, and he is a train wreck because he wants to be just like the big kids. :( Poor baby...

No real big news health wise. Everyone bringing home, getting over, or spreading around some sort of cold/flu/bug at all times, but we are managing to stay pretty "well" all things considered! Calder hasn't really had any major injuries lately (KNOCKING ON SOME VERY HARD WOOD RIGHT NOW)...but I'll always keep you posted. He is one tough kid. I got a letter from Kaiser in the mail telling us that his pediatrician won't be working for them after this month. That was very sad news to us--we love her. So now we get to start over with someone else, or maybe just go with our amazing cleft team ped in San Diego. Farther to drive, but already knows our story. Don't know what we will do.

Calder is not really doing much talking. He can say a few things, but as soon as I tell someone he can say something, he never says it again. I personally think he is doing it to drive me crazy. I'm biased, but he is beyond smart and has the funniest personality, if we aren't staring in baffled amazement, we are cracking up. Tonight, Caydree sneezed and Calder just grabbed a tissue and took it too her. No prompting, no questions or comments, he just noticed. Mind you, this was in the middle of his favorite TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba...so the fact that he even heard her sneeze was pretty miraculous, so the tissue delivery just set me over the edge. ;) He is doing quite a bit of sign language, but everyone asks him so many questions that we eventually guess what he wants so he doesn't really need to rely on it for communication yet. It's saved a lot of frustration, but it's causing some too! I keep thinking that one day soon, he will just open his cute little mouth and entire sentences will pour out...a mother can hope...

He is actually pretty vocal, but I can't wait for summer when I can take him for some speech therapy sessions in SD. I will also be able to really spend some quality time with him really learning his speech patterns, etc. This part of being a working mom is hard. Who really knows what he's "saying" all day? I don't really think we are behind, but I just want to stay on track.

I will see if there are any new pictures on here to post...but no promises. I have a camera full that I need to download.

Caydree and "Fuzzy Heart" at the movies watching "Tangled"

Calder on his new "quad"

Here is a short clip of some of the basic signs that we use daily. He knows quite a few more, but these are his most frequent.

school, school, school...

This is where I work, eat, and practically sleep these days. Things are good, but I'm not keeping up with anything else. Thank you Shane for doing the laundry last weekend, I apologize for the filthy house and sink-full of dishes!! :( Back to school is hard for mommy, but GREAT too!! Caydree is also with me at school, and liking it so far. She is in the kinder-readiness program, with only 3 other kids so far, so we will see how it starts to pan out! Her teachers are Ms. Sylvia and Ms. Sarah. She plays hard, doesn't nap as well, gets to go to the library and computer lab, and eats lunch from the cafeteria. BIG changes for my little girl.

Mr. Man is way too much to handle...been walking like a maniac for more than a month now...into everything, and is the boyest of boys I know!! ;) I'll put some new videos on here to share just how fun he is these days! Not talking yet, but makes lots of noise. Just waiting for the words to come flooding out, but for now the facial expressions, screaming, and head shaking will have to do!

Some new pictures...

This was our first "get in the sand" beach trip...and maybe mommy's last. What a pain!

Don't really know how much sand we left at the beach, lots in the mouth and lots in the diaper, but he had a great time.

We went to San Diego to watch the Rock and Roll Marathon, waiting to see Nikki, Jessica and Stacy...it was windy and kept lifting the comb-over up!

Caydree on her first pony ride at the Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival. She will also tell you she got to pet a llama (her favorite) and that we bought some of her favorite dip for bread (balsamic vinegar flavored with fig)...she is our interesting girl.

Here is little man watching the band Vertical Horizon at his first real concert! The Gin Blossoms also played that night, and he loved it. (Balloon and Wine Festival)

Mommy finally couldn't stand the comb-over anymore and cut it off. It was about an inch and a half that I actually trimmed...yes, I admit to using "product" on him now!

POOL TIME!

1st time at the pool for the summer! Caydree, Nicelle and Calder going for a swim!

Even got a smile from the girl...love her!

This was the only picture he actually looked at me for...all the others he is just having a blast in his swim float. ;) He loved the water!!

The video clip is from Father's Day, but sorry daddy, has nothing to do with you. This happens daily in our house, Calder can't get enough of Caydree, and she is becoming quite the entertainer! All I can say is that I LOVE my kids...

videos...

Cute clips of little man...I need to start being a bit pickier about what I video, but he sure is funny!

Making a break for it...

We desperately need to "re-babyproof our house! Calder is scooting all over the place, and you just forget how many things a crawling baby can actually get into. My favorite is probably the hair balls from our fluffy cat Wally. We could sweep/vacuum 2-3 times a day and there would still be hair balls...yuck! The funny thing is that Wally's favorite place to lay is always right on the blanket I've laid out for little man...typical cat. Oh well...Calder loves him, and he is pretty tolerant to the petting of a 7 month old. This is Wally, according to Caydree he was cold...

I've also been wanting to put a video clip up, so I'm going to attempt it. Sorry you Facebookers, this is the same one of him scooting...I've got to get some more going now that he is almost

"crawling"! He's getting up on all fours, and taking some actual steps! Just this evening, at our friend's house, he pulled himself up to standing on this storybook chair, then climbed up onto the chair, sitting on his knees, and tired to climb onto the hearth of the fireplace! All I can say is that we are in BIG trouble, he's already a maniac!