Caterpillars

N was thrilled to make a huge boyish discovery on his swingset yesterday... a caterpillar. He was so proud and excited to show it to me, M, and the neighbors. He carried it around for about 30 minutes before he accidentally dropped it and the (probably) traumatized caterpillar scurried away. After many tears and a couple of minutes combing through the grass, I convinced him that he would find many more creatures this summer and promised that next time, we would put it in a jar. I am sure that this is just the beginning of my life as a boy's mommy with bugs and frogs and such!

My Helper

Sunday, we went with some friends' to a local farm/nursery after church to get some flowers. The boys had fun and got to ride on the big wagons and help pick out flowers. M kept putting flowers in our wagon and I had to unload them when it was time to pay! Anyway, when we got home, M took a nap and I let N stay up to help me plant a few of the smaller flowers in pots. Needless to say, N was a big helper, but had much more fun with the hose. He got more wet than the plants! He had so much fun and the weather was beautiful, so I just let him be a boy!

Post Note

I realize that I have been really slack the past few months and I am sorry! Now that I am feeling like myself again, I have gone back and added quite a bit over the past few months. Please look back and see what you missed!

Back to Arkansas

We went back to Arkansas this weekend so that Daddy could visit and also to see Papa Nelson who came in for the weekend. We had a lot of fun just hanging out with everyone and we got to celebrate Papa's birthday while we were there!

For some reason, the boys thought it would be really fun to spend the afternoon without their shirts on. Maybe it was the nice spring weather, maybe it was just boys being boys! Of course, the "little" boys had to join in and they had so much fun playing chase and wrestling on the mounds of boxes and bags of wrapping paper that Jean Mommy had spent so much time neatly stacking!

Papa Nelson made Raines a skateboard ramp and had a lot of help. He is so patient and such a hard worker! The boys had so much fun riding their scooters on it when he was done! I know Raines has enjoyed it!

Potty Training, Part 2

I have been meaning to post an update of M's potty training and to go ahead and apologize to my precious M for the embarassment my picture will no doubt cause him in his teenage years!
I had thought that M was going to be hard to potty train, but I was so wrong. Once I figured out what his personal preferences for going to the potty were, he has been a breeze! He took a lot of initiative and really did it on his own. For my memories sake: M wanted to be nude, sit on the potty backwards, use the little boy potty, and be by himself! He is so independent! After about 2 days of nudity and having the potty in the playroom, we did move to wearing clothes and having the potty in the bathroom! He has only had a few minor accidents and is even going #2 in the potty. Of course we are having the normal "boy" issues of aim and pulling down his pants on time, but overall... success! We have been to stores, church, school, and restaurants with success. He is such a big boy and I am so proud of him!
It is hard to believe that my "baby" is getting so big... although it will be nice to save money on diapers! (If only for a few months!)