"I so happy!"

Things are happening so quickly around here that posting at all almost seems overwhelming not to mention that I rarely take any decent videos or photos with all my spare time!   :)

Here's a quick run down of our most recent events:

I now hold two equally important and challenging jobs at home: Mommy and Referee.  Our daily conversation usually sounds a bit like this:

L: No Bo!  That's mine!  Mommy Bo took my train!

M: Luke, you have 4000 trains, please let Bo play with one.

L: Bo, no touch it!  Mommy!  (insert throwing himself down on the floor and huge crocodile tears)

M: Luke, you need to share your toys.  Why don't you bring one of Bo's toys over for him to play with

L: Okay Mommy.  Here you go, Bo.  (Bo begins to play with said "baby" toy)

L: No, Bo, that's mine!

M: Luke you just gave that toy to Bo, play with your trains.

L:  No Bo, I put it up high, no touch it Bo, no touch it.

This conversation repeats at least 20 times a day!

Meanwhile, Bo is becoming VERY assertive and has little interest in baby toys.  He launches himself over baby toy obstacles, that Luke builds between his toys and Bo, with fierce eyes on what seems to be a mission to destroy Luke's trains, cars, towers, Lego's etc.

Bo is a FAST army crawler, in fact, I lose him at times he moves so quickly.  He is fearless and dives off couches and laughs as we catch him mid air.  He is taking the world by storm.  He has been clapping for about a month and loves when we all cheer for him!  He is still just as happy as can be, our little
sunshine.  Below is a video from about a month ago the first day he started to clap.

Luke is growing up far too fast!  I enrolled him for preschool in the fall.  He loves to count everything and point out shapes and colors that he sees all over town.  Today on the way home he pointed to the stop sign and said "Mommy look, an octagon!" I was so surprised I almost hit the stop sign!

He is learning all about emotions and talks about happy, sad, scared etc.  He thinks snakes and dinosaurs are VERY SCARY! (I'm secretly pretty happy that he isn't in to dinosaurs...yet).

Although we aren't officially potty training, we are using the potty at least once a day and talking and reading books about using the potty.  Tonight I thought we were really turning a corner because out of nowhere Luke stopped and said, "Mommy I go pee" so we went to the potty and he did great!  I was feeling a little too confident and proud I guess because not ten minutes later, while I was bathing Bo, Luke  marched into the bathroom and said "Mommy, look, uh-oh, nasty!" and he had two hand fulls of poop....so I guess we have a long way to go!

Always on each other's heals

Smoking ribs with Daddy

So Happy!

Little Rock Chalkers!

New favorite place to play together! Many nights they get in Bo's bed together now and play!

Happy 8 months!

Comforting little brother!

Sunday night when I was putting Luke to bed he kept asking for "one more kiss and one more hug."  He probably asked 20 times and then he just threw his arms around my neck and said "I so happy!" Me too little man, me too!

Snow!

We finally got some of the white stuff!  I was afraid it wouldn't snow at all here this year and I was sad for Luke...but today we finally got just a little bit so were able to finally wear our boots, bundle up and play in the snow!

It was short lived, because it is cold, and Luke REFUSES to wear his gloves/mittens....but wants to throw snow balls and build a snow man...makes it a little challenging!  We had fun though!  I tried to teach him to do a snow angel, but he wasn't so sure about it quite yet...all in good time!  Maybe just maybe we will get more snow this year and we can go sledding!  Bo didn't care that it was cold or wet out...he kept going from sitting up to on his belly and rolling around!  He was very content with his face in the snow!...go figure!

Okay mom, I have rolled around and sat out here long enough...I'm ready for my dinner!

Joy

Today I had one of my favorite parenting moments to date!  I had the honor of taking Luke to his very first KU game!  Drew is out of town this weekend and I thought I would need to sell our tickets, but then I realized I should get a babysitter for Bo and relish in the opportunity to have my first baby boy all to myself and to share something with him that I love!

I absolutely LOVED my four years in Lawrence, KS, it is a such a special place to me, the place where I really learned who I was, started to grow up and met some of the greatest friends in the world.  There is no place better to watch college hoops than Allen Fieldhouse, and that's not just my opinion, google greatest sporting venues and it is at the top of the list regardless of the sport,  professional or college....the place is amazingly awesome.  So, to be the one to first take Luke there was extra special to me.

He has been obsessed with the Jayhawk and the fight song for awhile, check out this video from last month...he constantly asks Drew and I to cue the song up on our phones in the evenings and on the way home from daycare in the car!

The moment we entered the Fieldhouse and he heard the band he started to giggle and started yelling "Mommy, Jay, Jay, Jay!" He could not stop laughing, it was adorable and made me feel like I was seeing the Fieldhouse for the first time myself!

When we got to our seats he couldn't stop pointing out all the Jayhawks around the building.  He was just in awe.

Then when it was time to sing the Alma Mater and the Rock Chalk Chant he was so excited to watch the students, it actually surprised me but I got a little emotional during the Alma Mater holding Luke and taking in the scene around us, it was two of my worlds merging in to one and it made me so happy!  I know it is so sappy, but it was just such a special moment for me!

He loved the opening video, it was a good little history lesson for him! :)

When the game started he kept yelling "Dunk it, Daddy, Dunk It!"  He yells that when Drew and  him "dunk" on his mini basketball goal and so to him Dunk it and Daddy just go together!  It was super sweet!

We had a wonderful day!

He was so excited to wear his shirt!

That is the look he had on his face the entire time, melts my heart!

He giggled like this almost the whole time!

Giving Back and Unplugging in 2012

I have been a terrible blogger recently...I have to be honest, I haven't minded much!  I feel like we have been crazy busy, but I couldn't really tell you what all we have been doing!  I am working on reprioritizing my time. I have never really been one for New Year's resolutions...I have always thought, if you want to do something different just do it...you don't need the calendar to tell you to change.  BUT, this year, there are a few things I want to do differently.  One is to give back and the second is to unplug.

Giving Back:  We have been so abundantly blessed these last few years.  We have two healthy, happy, well adjusted kids....they smile and laugh, hug, snuggle and explore.  They are a parent's dream.  I look at them and I am in complete and total awe that Drew and I created them and I just want to absorb every moment with them to my fullest.  Drew and I are both blessed with wonderful families, great careers, a warm home and more than we certainly need.  So, this year, in recognition of our blessings, I would like to find ways to honor the giver and give back.  I want our children to be thankful and grateful for what they have and learn to serve others.  Finding ways to do that with a baby and toddler is the tricky part, so if any one has any great suggestions, my ears are open!  This year we are making the time to do this!

Unplugging:  The fact that Luke can work an iPhone, IPad, Blackberry and a remote disturbs me.  Watching Bowen already reaching toward my phone further confirms that Drew and I (more so me) are completely and totally obsessed with our devices, and our kids mimic us.  So, I am trying to unplug...why on earth I find it necessary to look at Facebook is beyond me...99.9% of the information there is meaningless and irritating to me...yet I constantly hit the app on my phone...so I am slowly but certainly detaching from Facebook, I don't plan to join pinterest, start posting photos on every possible site for doing so or reading any more blogs...I have a handful that I thoroughly enjoy and I will keep those, but for the most part I am cutting back on all social networking etc.  When I find the urge to grab my phone, I am going to grab my kids, because I certainly don't get enough time with them.  When I want to catch up on a friend's life, I am going to call them, not look at their Facebook page.  That leads me to the blog...I want to continue to keep up with the big moments because I want to be able to look back and remember all these moments....right now things are already blurring together in the craziness of life...but I don't want to feel like I HAVE to post or take a picture etc. I want to just play with my kids in the yard and see them with both my eyes and through the eyes of a toddler, not through a lens of a camera.

I didn't take a 6 month shot of sweet Bowen, but I can tell you he is sweeter and cuter with each passing day.  He is happy, determined, inquisitive and adores his big brother.  He is growing like a weed and last week weighed in at almost 19lbs!  He has yet to meet a vegetable or a fruit he doesn't like!  I didn't get a 7 month picture either because we were all sick as dogs with this respiratory junk that has been going around like crazy.  Bowen rolls and army crawls to get to things he wants...last week he was stealing Luke's toys and pulling on his leg and Luke kept yelling "Mommy, Bo let go!!!, Stop it Bo!, Mommy Stop Bo!"  I let Luke know that the honeymoon period of having a little brother was over and from this point forward it was game on!  Nothing is sacred anymore!  We have been thinking that official crawling is just around the corner for well over a month, as Bo has been rocking away on all fours, but so far we are still scooting.  I am quickly realizing how challenging having a baby on the move is when big brother's toys are so small and can easily be swallowed...we are all trying to adjust to Bowen's mobility!

Luke never stops talking, ever.  He is starting to enjoy singing and especially loves the Hot Dog Song!  This week we survived a respiratory illness without having breathing problems which was such a relief....it didn't stop my complete and total paranoia about it occurring, but we are hopefully continuing to move in a positive direction!  Luke repeatedly counts to 20 and we are working on learning more colors other than Blue and Yellow! We know the names of other colors, but pretty much think everything is Blue or Yellow at this point.  Luke is still completely and totally obsessed with trains, he has three train shirts which he asks to wear every.single.day!  I never thought I would be the mom to do laundry to appease my child's demands but after three days I get worried that a meltdown might occur if we don't have a clean train shirt!

We are totally exhausted but loving watching our boys grow!

Giggling...double chin and all! Looks like we've outgrown our Jayhawk shirt!

These two are almost impossible to catch smiling and looking the same direction at the same time! 

Little chunk last month prepping for his first veggies and fruits!

Tia and Wajuh

After Christmas Drew and I were blessed to be a part of his sister Jenny's (Tia) wedding to Roger (Wajuh, according to Luke)!  We escaped for a quick 48 hours without the kiddos to Vermont to be a part of their very special day and wedding!

It was an amazing wedding, so special and unique and we were honored to share it with them!  These two have an adventurous spirit for life and love the outdoors and skiing.  In fact, Roger comes from a long line of well known and decorated skiers!  His family has a ski area in Vermont and it was the perfect spot for their wedding!  I don't really know how to succinctly describe their day, but here it goes in about a sentence, they were married at the top of a ski run at night in a rain storm amidst friends, family, and bonfires...they skied down to the lodge through sparklers in a wedding dress and tux and we all celebrated them soaked to the bone in ski wear and dress clothes!  Can't say I have ever attended a wedding in ski boots!  It was beautiful and just perfect for them!

Drew and I also enjoyed some time to just be us and not parents!  We stayed at a bed and breakfast and after breakfast the morning of the wedding we went  back upstairs and slept until noon, it was BLISSFUL!

Congratulations to Tia and Wajuh!

Finley (dog on left) was the ring bearer...the wedding was a little delayed starting because Finley needed to be found!

Seriously? How amazing is this picture? Especially with the dogs running behind them.  

Married!

Soaked after skiing in the rain!

My father in law Chick in his tie and ski pants! :)

Kiss-mas!

If I could choose just one word to describe Kiss-Mas (aka Christmas) at the Keller house this year it would be....wait for it...TRAINS! Holy moly, I never thought I would know so much about trains (I'm just grateful its trains right now and not dinosaurs...that is my biggest fear!-mark my words!)!  Luke now has train shirts, books, a train table, a remote control train, lego trains, train videos, don't forget all the Thomas and Friends trains, oh and I am pretty sure we watched parts of the Polar Express everyday for 3 weeks...the songs haunt me in my dreams...I'm certain I am missing something, but wow...it is a train party over here!

In all seriousness though, this was the best Christmas yet.  Drew and I were both off of work for 12 days, the weather was amazing, the kids were healthy, we ate well, slept well, and just loved on our boys.  We had so much fun and although I say it with every post, every day it just gets more and more fun with these two boys.  They bring us so much joy, laughter and love!

There were maybe 3 million pictures taken between Christmas Eve, morning and day...some of them are pretty darn cute, to me, but for the most part they are of a toddler opening everyone's presents...so I will spare you....from most of them! :)  Just know that we had a blast...Luke busted down the stairs Christmas morning and was excited to open his presents, Bo's presents and everything else in between!  When asked what Santa brought him he very sweetly tells people "presents!"

Not sure what all the excitement is about, but I'm having fun!

The best we could get this year of me and my two boys!

Love to throw!

Best and worst gift...a remote control Thomas train....Luke is obsessed (best) but also gets the train hung up on everything throughout the house and yells "Stop it Thomas!" every time he wants to stop the train or switch directions (worst!)

Future golfer!

Best we could get Christmas Eve...

Buddies

There's a lot to catch up on since the last post...Christmas, Tia Juana's (Aunt Jenny) ski wedding in Vermont...honestly I haven't even uploaded the pictures from either...but we have been having a blast this last week being home with our little guys (minus our 48 hour trip to Vermont sans kiddos...wonderful in other ways!).  The boys are interacting so much more...playing together, laughing together, stealing toys from one another...I think Bo's first word might be "MINE" because it is all he hears Luke, aka Bowen's idol, say.

So while I wait to post on the bigger events, here is a snap shot into our boy's budding friendship! (sorry for the poor quality phone camera pics!)

As is readily apparent...pretty much anything Luke does, as mundane as it may be or even if it slightly harms Bowen, he still finds Luke hilarious!

Sometimes, just because, we eat ice cream and watch movies on the coffee table...little brother closely takes in the bad behavior.

Luke might steal his toys, but Bo is getting even by stealing Luke's pants!

Bo being indoctrinated into the world of trains...

Shhhh Bowen! Little Bo is VERY vocal these days!

Loves to give kisses

Now that he can stand, Luke likes to show Bowen how to use all his old toys!

Finally!  I have Luke's cars all to myself!

Santa Photo Op

We skipped Santa last year...after Luke screamed and sobbed when he saw a large man with a beard at a KU tailgate we just knew it wasn't worth it!  So this year, I felt like it was our duty to try Santa (read: Mom wanted a photo of Luke with Santa regardless of his thoughts!).

We started after Thanksgiving by decorating the house with Santa, watching Dora's Christmas Carol, reading Christmas books, watching the Polar Express...and when Luke started recognizing Santa I thought we might just pull it off!

We headed out after work last Thursday evening with our friends the Goods to the Brookside Dime Store...such a cute store...to see a FREE, sweet, clean Santa with NO line!  Right up my alley, I just can't justify waiting hours to see Santa and then paying someone to take a picture of my screaming child!

When we stepped in the store and Luke first saw Santa his eyes lit up and he sweetly stared at Santa and said "Hi Santa!" and proceeded to show Santa the train in the window...I thought to myself, YES!, my toddler is going to sit on Santa's lap and LOVE it!

Not so much!  Bo and Santa...BFF's, Luke and Santa...maybe next year!  Poor Santa and poor Luke!  But, pretty darn funny, and it made for a great photo op!  Special thanks to Bethany Good for most of the below photos.

Still excited...

Checking each other out...

No big deal mom...this guy seems nice...

You want me to sit where?

This will be the picture that we pull out in 20 years....

Trains are much better than Santa

Santa's little helper...so happy!

Next year maybe Luke will be ready...but by then Bo will have entered the fear of Santa phase!  Merry Christmas!