Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving morning we got up and got ready and went to Ryan's parents. Brycen was excited to play with his cousins.

Hailey, Jayce, Brycen, Mya and Corbin

We leave there early afternoon to come home and hang out and put our tree up at home.
I wanted to get a picture of the boys together- lol C is so big he almost covers B up!

talking ;)
Corbin just CRACKS UP when B chases him like this. C gets so excited he falls face first, lol.
Playing peek a boo

my life.

B was the only one I could make hold still to get a picture of their shirts :)

(thanks Kaycee!)

We put up our tree in the afternoon and decorated.

It was a lot easier this year b/c we're in the rental which is a lot smaller :)

We just put up our smaller tree this year.

Corbin wanted to help ;)

In the evening we went to my parents for supper with my dad's mom's side of the family (got that? lol). Love getting together with them. Telling old stories and there is always PLENTY of laughing to go around. We were full and exhausted when we got home and I was thankful to be warm in my pj's the next morning. I didn't go out shopping b/c Ryan was working at the new house. I did run to CVS and got a bought a new crock pot (mine broke a couple weeks ago) for 8.99! It's super nice and I love it. Ryan went early that morning (like 4am) to Lowe's and bought our kitchen appliances and my washer and dryer for the new house. I had already picked them out and they were all on sale (like we saved TWO THOUSAND dollars!). Ryan said it was well worth it to get up early and go when he realized that ;). It also wasn't crowded there- it was only him and 4 other guys who were in the store so he didn't have it too rough!

Crawling Corbin

This adorable little guy is EVERYWHERE now... He started crawling a couple weeks ago (one week after he turned 9 mo.). At first he was super slow and it was so funny, but I can't say that he is slow about it anymore! He is quite the handful these days- especially w/ the Christmas tree up! I wouldn't change it for the world- I LOVE every second of running after his cute little self!

I mean really who wouldn't want to chase after this face!?
These were the day after he started crawling... going for his blocks!

That face is so serious! He was really figuring it out!

I was so glad he started crawling while we were at home and not while he was at the sitter... that's what I hate- thinking I might miss out on a "first". Plus I was off the whole next day after he started crawling so I got to enjoy it as he discovered what all he could do!

American Education Week

The week before Thanksgiving they had American Education Week at school. They learned about a different era/theme each day and had a special program and a special treat each day. I missed day one taking a picture (it was jazz day and he wore a fedora hat and looked adorable)!

Day 2 was 50's day. You can't tell so much in the picture, but his hair was slicked w/ gel (he thought that was super cool) and parted to the side.

Day 3 was 60's day. So we did tie dye :) I was going to cut holes in his old jeans, but it was super cold that day so I didn't.

Day 4 was Cultural Day so he wore a Hawaiian shirt. (which was about two sizes too small it looks like! haha- he has grown about 2 in. since summer).


Day 5 was cowboy-western day and he of course wore his boots and hat and a western shirt (actually the one he wore in his pictures Mandi and Andre took).


He had so much fun that week at the special programs. I love how PES does so many fun things for the kids while teaching them as well! (Now, why wasn't it like that when I was there?!) haha!

GO, G-O, GO, GO BUTLER!

Okay, so you can tell by my title that I'm most definitely the cheerleader in the family and not the basketball player... I did that until 6th grade, but then I quit growing- haha! Anyway, I'm a total dork and the title probably gives away that my cheerleading days are quite a few years behind me (dorkiness of the out of date cheer), BUT I did have fun cheering on Brycen at his first ever basketball game yesterday! He plays Charger Cub (the title of the league) basketball. They are the Butler Bulldogs and Ryan is coaching him. He has made some new friends and is enjoying himself. It's kindergarten and 1st grade kids and they don't keep score so I enjoy the relaxed feeling of the game :)

Brycen guarding his girl (they wear a colored wristband so they can easily see who they are guarding on the opposing team).

they all did pretty well for it being their first game.

Again, B is just not aggressive so not ball stealing for him :) haha!

But he does a great job bringing the ball down the floor and dribbling with out traveling.

Before the game :)


I love how excited he was!

Updates on the boys!

I try not to go longer than a week with out posting... I do have some pictures on my camera from last week because it was American Education Week and B got to dress up for school each day for different themes... but my camera is at home and I've been slacking about uploading... partially b/c I guess I'm just slacking and partially b/c we now have a very mobile and busy baby! Yes, right after I posted that C wasn't crawling crawling yet he decided to surprise us! Last Tuesday evening B and I were sitting on the couch going over his papers from the day and Corbin was sitting on the floor playing toys... all at once I saw movement and B and I look up and C had thrown his toy across the floor (not uncommon- he loves to throw things!) and he is crawling- yes crawling to get it! B starts jumping up and down- soooo excited- screaming, "My brother can crawl, my brother can crawl"!! It was so sweet. The first couple days he would just crawl around whatever room we were in, but now he has figured out he can get everywhere and likes to explore :) I'm currently trying to figure out where to put the Christmas tree that he won't pull it down on himself b/c he gets up on his knees and pulls EVERYTHING down! He is def. keeping us busier these days. My favorite place to sit and do things (tutu making, computer, reading, etc) was on the floor- haha! No more sitting on the floor to do anything for me anymore b/c I have a little boy that wants right in the middle of it all! I love watching him do new things, but it also makes me sad that he has taken this next step of independence! His 5th tooth (eye tooth on top) is about to pop through. I'd say sometime this week it will. You can see white and it's just right under the gum. I looked in B's babybook and C was about a month older when he got his first tooth (but if you factor in that he was a month early it's about the same), but B didn't get his 5th tooth until he was 11 months. I also checked their weights and B was 20lbs 6oz at 9 months and C is 21 lbs 10oz- so not a huge difference. B was 29 in. long and C is 30. So they are pretty similar in size (although C just seems huge to me!). C still says three words- bubba, momma, and dada, but the one he says the most (all the time) is bubba! Brycen of course LOVES this! ha! B has figured out how to carry C around to get him wherever he wants to go. He's really careful with him and half drags him b/c he only weighs about 15 lbs less! haha! Brycen plays C's little toys with him and loves to help give him his snacks (cheerios or bananas). Oh yes, Thursday night we had family pictures done w/ my parents for my mom's Christmas cards and so my brother was home for the evening from school (we so miss him!) and we went out to eat at a bbq place in town. C thinks he has to eat when we eat so Ryan let him lick a pickle... he LOVED it. He wanted to bite them off, but we just let him chew on them. He ate/chewed 2 of them (big ones) until they were mush! They were pretty sour pickles too!


B has started basketball for this year. His first game is this coming Sunday. Ryan is coaching him. Brycen says he loves it... it's just so funny b/c he is not agressive at all. He def. won't be accused of being a ball hog ;) I love watching him play, but I hate that they play on Sundays. That's normally our day to be together- the 4 of us, but this kind of interrupts our day! It goes through January so I guess we'll live :). He is doing so well in school and we get midterms at the end of this week. Watching his reading skills improve is amazing to me! He wasn't very confident at first, but now everywhere we go he is trying to sound words out and read whatever he can. They have 3 reading series' in Kindergarten and he will be starting in the 2nd one today. They bring home a book and practice it for 2 days. They take it back to school and are tested on it (they read it and then have 3 comprehension questions). Today he will be tested on his last book in the first series. He's so pumped b/c he says the 2nd series has bigger words ;). I also bought the first four Boxcar Children book set and have been reading in those to him each night. We're on book 2 and he loves to try and read words in these too. I was kind of tired of reading story books all the time and I remember loving all the Boxcar Children books and thought B might enjoy the deeper story lines in them as well- sure enough- he does! And Ryan likes to listen too :) I love that family time before we put him to bed each night. Ryan has been working at the house and/or at work pretty late each night, but I can always count on story time :) C goes to bed at 7:30 each night and although I miss him and wish he would stay up a little later he is tired and wants to be put down- it's also a good thing too b/c B gets that one on one time. This is when he reads his reading series book and does whatever homework (if any) he has. He and I normally play a game or two of Yahtzee (last night it was Candyland) or some other game (but Yahtzee is my favorite). haha! He says, "Momma, you ALWAYS want to play Yahtzee"!

Brycen also had to pull his first card at school last week! It was for not putting his name on his paper! He was really upset at school when he had to pull it and he cried! His teacher spoke w/ him and told him it was okay and there wasn't a need to cry! When I picked him up that day he said, "Mom- I have baddd news" I was like, "Oh no, what happened" and B said, "I had to pull a card". I went on to ask him what it was for and when he told me it was for not having his name on his paper I could help but smile to myself. If that's the worst he does all year to get a card pulled I'll be happy! :)


The house is still coming along... Ryan got all the can lights installed this wk/end! My dad is on vacation hunting this week, but hopefully next he can get all our wire pulled into the house. The next steps are getting the garage doors up and insulation so we can get some heat in there so Ryan doesn't freeze out there working! The siding is really coming along and I just keep forgetting to take my camara out there to take pictures... I really need to do that!


If you have made it this far- kudos to you- I mainly wanted to do this update so I'd have it for my blog book (I've been working on my first years of blogging ('07-'08). I'm combining those two years b/c in '07 I only had a handful of posts! I'm excited about this work week b/c I only work today and tomorrow and then I'm off the next 5 days w/ my boys! What a treat!

Fall Fest

Brycen's school had a fall festival on Friday. The PTO does it as a fundraiser. Each class made up a basket that they had a silent auction on. Brycen's class decided on a "Family Night" theme! It turned out super cute and I know they raised a ton of money on all the cute baskets! The kids had fun w/ all the activities too! There were a ton of ppl there and I'm glad they had such a good turn out. Ryan was gone all weekend to the cabin hunting so it was just me and the boys!

Corbin enjoyed the fall fest too!

I think he looks so old in this picture!

B tried to win a fish...

unfortunately (for him not for momma!) he didn't win.

They had a cake walk!

Brycen and Mabry

These two are like brother and sister!

They are so funny and love each other.

They really watch out for each other!

They ride the bus together & are in the same class.

(Their grandpa's are cousins so they are also related).

Corbin clapping for B :)
We make him do it all the time b/c it's so darn cute!


Brycen hit our good friend Kent in the face w/ a pie :)

They had police officers volunteer for this booth- it was def. a hit!

I was so glad it was Kent though when it was B's turn b/c we just love him! hehe!

B and Kennedy

They are having their 6th birthday party together here in a few weeks and are sooo excited for it!

(Their grandpa's are also cousin's so they are related as well).

Batman

B had homework to dress up a turkey in disguise so he wouldn't get eaten for Thanksgiving! He wanted to do his as batman.

B and Batman Turkey!

He thought this project was fun! Ryan had the idea to take tulle from my tutu supply and make batman's cape. They hang these all out in the Kindergarten pod area and so B was looking at the other kids and said, "Well, mom there were two other batman's, but none were as cool as mine because mine was the only one that was a real batman with a real cape!". I think Ryan was just as proud as B! haha! :)