wysereeser + 3

Nate is gone yet another week this summer. In June he was visiting the Wyse clan. This week he is visiting the Reeser clan. His uncle Andy took him out to purchase his own birthday present. I think he enjoyed just spending time with his uncle but a present was definitely a bonus!!  It sounds like he also had fun playing with his cousins Katie and Grant. It is fun to hear that Grant seems to love watching and playing with Nate. I am sure Nate loves it that his cousin looks up to him. I am sure Nate also has enjoyed all the wonderful doting that Grandma and Grandpa have done.  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for giving Nate a wonderful week!!

I am always amazed at how thoughtful both my boys can be.  Nate was sad that he was going to miss my birthday so he drew me a picture before he left town for the week.  He made me a vase and wanted to make sure that we got flowers to put in the vase because he knows I love flowers.  Mitchell will quickly run to someone when he knows they got hurt. He will just kiss Chloe as he is passing by. Sure he has somewhere he is going but the guy always on the go most certainly has time to give a kiss as he is walking by.  I love my boys!!!

As Chloe rounds the corner of being 1 I am going to take a few minutes to reflect. The other night I felt probably one of the strongest pains in my heart. Chloe is almost 1, she is a walking maniac and she is eating big people food and nursing less.  She is pretty much a toddler.  I don’t recall if a toddler technically starts at 1 or 2 but since she is toddling around it only makes sense to call her back. Anyway the vision that causes such a pain was of me carrying her in my maya wrap. The tiny baby bundle that was always so peaceful, sweet and cuddly. The baby that would fall asleep almost instantly when inserted in the wrap. The almost tiny (never was tiny) baby.  I think it is more difficult this time seeing her get to be so big so fast knowing that she is it. She is the last of my babies.  This stage is almost over in my life.  That said, she is still wonderful, easy going, sweet etc. She loves the ergo (though she doesn’t fall asleep as easily in it). She has about 6 teeth now. They are gradually coming in. She has more teeth than Mitchell at this age, I think but less than Nate. She is walking. Like really walking. She has been doing this for a couple weeks now, though it seems like this week is when she decided that it was going to be her primary mode of mobility.  Remembering back, Nate walked on his 1st birthday and Mitchell was just over 10 months. So again Chloe is right in the middle of that being just over 11 months when she started. She says bye bye and waves. She can sometimes be caught saying “up” when it is requested of her. It seems she is attempting to say other words too from time to time, so I think she is not far from a talking explosion. Oh and she says Uh Oh!  Her hair is coming in thicker and I had fun putting a barrette in it the other day even though it didn’t really do much other than decorate her beautiful head.  This is Chloe at one. She is really starting to imitate her brother’s and she loves to laugh at them and make them laugh. She likes blowing on my belly and saying “ah” while putting her hand to her mouth and taking it away and doing that over and over. She is good at making her lips vibrate and make that sound. I am sorry if there is a name but I can’t recall what it is called. I will just have to get it on video.

Ok maybe not, BUT he likes to jump off of one of us and try to swim submerged until we feel uncomfortable (usually a few seconds) and pull him out of the water for which he says “AGAIN”.  He is a bit too comfortable in the water. Mitchell has always loved the water but at times I am ready to leave the pool because Mitchell seems to lack fear. Luckily he has had no reason to fear the pool.  He will definitely be swimming soon if he keeps this attitude up. He has been taking lessons this summer. It is a bit hit or miss whether or not he wants to get in the pool or not.

Ok so is she walking or isn’t she?  She only takes about 3 or 4 or sometimes 5 or more steps before she falls to the ground and crawls the rest of the way. Each day she seems to be attempting the walking thing more. She is also climbing the stairs when given the opportunity.  Therefore the baby gates are back up.  Chloe has 5 teeth in her mouth and is starting to eat more and more of our food.  She is becoming quite the social butterfly as well.

Nate just got back from 5 days away with my family in Ohio. He had a nice time.  I was told he was very quiet with the adults. Grandma and Grandpa took Nate to see Toy Story 3 and out for summer. Nate also enjoyed a swim in a pond, a water balloon fight, holding kittens, my aunt Susie’s birthday party, the big blow up jumpy things at the Black Swamp sale etc.  He even enjoyed the trip. He caught a ride with his friend Sam and Sam’s family. They were heading to Cleveland so they dropped him off and picked him up and brought him home.  When Nate was talking about the kittens he told me about “his” kitten. He is a light tiger color. I think if we told him it was ok, he would bring the cat home.  Nate also told me that while he was out to eat with grandma and grandpa he met one of my elementary teachers.  Nate is looking forward to his next little trip which is a few days at a local State Park with the family.

Since I haven’t posted photos lately I thought I would make a post of photos.  Enjoy!

Today is Nate’s 6th birthday.  This morning he requested oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j for lunch with berries and yogurt, white cupcakes with chocolate frosting for his birthday treat at school and Vitense tonight for food and fun. Yesterday he asked for both chocolate and white cupcakes. I told him it would be good if they were all the same so that no one was sad to not get what they wanted.  Today after the cupcakes were made he told me that he asked for white with chocolate frosting so that everyone would get what they wanted.  He is SO thoughtful. This morning he was helping let Bailey out, he got the OJ out of the fridge on his own and gave Mitchell some…. He was just mister helper.  He is a wonderful boy. I just love him!!!!

Chloe is just over 9 months old. She had her 9 month well check yesterday that wasn’t 100% well. She has had a cold and was diagnosed with conjunctivitis.  She has been in good spirits despite her very gunky eyes.  She is just over 20lbs.  The doctor commented that some of her behavior at the appointment usually doesn’t start until kids are 1. She was pushing the doctor away when she didn’t want her touching her.  I found out later that she hadn’t had lunch so she was more than likely hungry which is why she didn’t want to be laid down either. She is pretty content even when she is hungry but often a sign of being tired or hungry is her dislike of being set down.  She started this early on. Chloe is crawling at full speed, she pulls herself up and walks around holding on to things. Is she too going to be an early walker? Time will tell.

I keep thinking that I need to write down all the cute things that my kids say and I just don’t get to it and then sadly I forget what the cute quote was.  I am hoping however with our fairly new Flip video camera that I can catch some of the many ways the kids are cute.   Yeah for technology.

Today Scott said that when Mitchell woke up from his nap, Scott took Chloe to his room and set her in bed beside him. They had a very cute moment where they were just oogling over each other, smiling and Mitchell kissed Chloe.

My likes:

I like it when I walk to school with Nate and we hold hands and he talks to me about things like tadpoles and bullfrogs and other things he has learned

I like when Mitchell runs to me when I walk in the door.

I like when Chloe laughs and laughs

I like when Nate cuddles with me

I like when Mitchell says “na na come and get me”

I like it when I carry Chloe on my front or back and feel her close to me

I like hugs from everyone

I like hearing Nate as a new reader

I like Mitchell’s laughs

I like to see Chloe grow

I like Nate’s imagination

I like watching Mitchell care for others

I like holding Chloe as she falls asleep

I like when Nate thinks he needs to “buy” me flowers

I like hearing Nate laugh

I like seeing Chloe grow and see the new things each and every day that she learns

I like to see Mitchell’s language grow

I like to cuddle on the couch with any one of my family members

I love hugs and kisses from my family

I like when Nate helps without me asking

I like when my family says, “I love you”

I like….. love my family

Scott’s most recent post on facebook inspired me to look through the last 2 months of status’ and post all the kid references.  I always think about “I need to write down that comment” and what not but I never remember it by the time I get a chance to blog. This isn’t the same but it does catch a few comments and gets a look into our kids lives through facebook status’

I am starting with Scott’s:

listening to, Nate: “Mitchell, Killer whales are bad, Orcas are good. Which one do you choose?” Mitchell: “OOORRRCAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Nate’s off to the side playing video games on my computer (at my work place). Just said (quietly) to himself, “Man….I am good at this.”

ugh. Listened to “Firefly” so many times during our travels at the boy’s request, its now running through my head on repeat.

found it appropriate that Mitchell liked the monkeys at the zoo today.

mmmkaay….Mitchell just yelled out in his sleep “HAAAA!” How others are still sleeping amazes me.

(referring to Nate)

Must remember to get the boy a recording of this. He loved it when it came on the radio today…4…3…2…1…

Mitchell’s (2yrs) demonstrating dislike for his Mom leaving by screaming at and beating the garage door with a fly swatter.Nate: “Um, Dad? Can you go play with your iPhone in another room?”

My turn:

Booked the girls spa weekend in June, cleaned up a potty training oops and caught chloe pulling herself up from sitting to her feet!

Is back from a nice week long vacation. Wonderful time in the Dell’s, Illinois, St. Louis and Arkansas. Back to work and school tomorrow.

Sitting in bed with the laptop with Chloe sleeping on one side of me and Nate sleeping on the other. Mitch and Scott are visiting the Reeser’s in Illinois for a few days. Nate loves taking his dad’s spot in bed.

Last Sunday Nate had a play date with the girl that he thinks is the cutest girl in class. I just found out that that girl put on a dress right before the play date and asked her mom if friends who go to kindergarten together can get married. So sweet.

Nate decided to surprise me today by picking up all the toys in the living room without my prompting! He is awesome!Nate decided he wanted to make his own Valentine’s Day cards. That means almost 40 cards! 31 of which were for his classroom. Whew! Just got done (2 nights worth of work).