Time with the Parks'

When you bring 4 boys under the age of 5 together you are bound to have tons of fun, exhausting for sure, a few tantrums and tears and many good pictures! Xavier and I headed down to Bluefield this past weekend to visit Merri and Rob and the boys. They just moved into a a bigger place with a fabulous backyard and it was high time for a weekend of togetherness. It was lovely to see how much Merri's boys have grown and their different personalities and to see how Xavier interacts with other kids (sharing is not his strong point). Rob had to work, but we got to see him for a few hours, it seems that whenever we get together either Jeremiah or Rob has to work, one of these days we will actually have both entire families together! Merri and I got a good old-fashioned gossip session in and she also introduced me to "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" Oh my, it is fabulous! Funny how much we both still love wedding shows; we used to meet back in our room during college to watch "A Wedding Story." So funny, but if you have not seen "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" I recommend taking in an episode-totally worth it!!

Highlights from the weekend below:

Ethan sliding down the make-shift water slide-"did I go really fast?" Ethan was tame compared to Davis as he went down the water slide, Davis was all about going down on his tummy and he had the red chest to prove it went we finally headed in for dinner.
Xavier's first attempt, with Ethan's encouragement, going down the water slide, it wasn't that big of a hit for him, which surprised me.

Taking a break in the pool before fulling the cups back up with water and hitting the slide again. Xavier was IN LOVE with the cozy coupe and drove it all over the yard. Xavier and Colin had some sharing issues with the coupe, but it seemed to work out. Xavier only pushes it backwards, and he ended up getting it 'parked' under the slide, which suited him just fine.
Ethan at the fabulous park in Bluefield. It was hot as all get out and Merri and I only lasted about 35 minutes before we were a little sweaty. The boys I think could have stayed out the rest of the afternoon.

Xavier driving the airplane, which he referred to as a helicopter.

Merri pushing Colin and Davis. If there had been more shade, we might have lasted longer, but chasing 4 kids around is hard work!

A little time on the stairs, Colin, Xavier and Ethan.

It was hard to leave on Sunday, especially the big play room full of toys and the cozy coupe for Xavier. We had to take a few minutes in the back yard to say bye to the coupe and then go back to the park to make sure all Xavier's energy was used up for a pleasant ride home. Xavier slept most of the way down to Bluefield, so he did not get to experience driving through the tunnels on 77, but on the way back home, he was still awake and loved going "in a mountain." He just laughed in the back seat and would say, "cool." When we got home Giema (my mom) had arrived back from visiting Uncle Heath in Wisconsin and I am pretty sure Xavier's life was complete then; had a fabulous weekend playing hard with friends, new mountain experiences and seeing Giema after she had been gone for over a week.

So much fun, I can't wait for the next adventure!!!

The Business of eating

I am pretty sure Xavier does not chew while eating spaghetti, I think he just slurps it all down. I can cut it up, but he still slurps and honestly it is way more fun to slurp down long pieces (I find myself doing it every once in awhile still!).

The Good Life

Life has been speeding by and it seems that we are booked solid for each and every minute!!! This past weekend as a family we took an afternoon to celebrate Jeremiah's youngest sisters birthday (it was in December, we are celebrated in July...only 7 months late...) and all us ladies went to get a pedicure after lunch. Xavier did not want to stay with Daddy, so his aunts went back and picked him up from Jeremiah's sisters house and brought him back to the salon after picking up the cake. Xavier thought it was fabulous and had to take part in the relaxation!

The only thing that got him out of the foot bath was the promise of a sucker and to go look at the tractors next door. Gotta love my little boo!

A cut above

Last night in the Fish household we had a fabulous dinner on the back porch with good friend Eric and then we got into the hair cutting business! Jeremiah keeps his hair nice and short, we could cut it every week, but let it go at least 2 weeks, sometimes 3 and then goodness whe have a mound to cut, but anyways, not the reason for the post. Xavier had a ball with the clippers, he had to help with daddy's hair (no ears were lost or anything!) He just loved it and the funny thing, when daddy's was done, he started asking for us to cut his hair. Well from past experiences with the Xavier hair cutting, it has went like this, NO NO NO and wiggle wiggle wiggle. So he always looks alittle funny for one day because he would only let Grandma-D cut one side at a time. But wonder of wonders-HE LOVES getting his hair cut by the clippers. He never moved, just let Jeremiah buzz away.

And the Finished product...

Definitely shorter than we have gone before, but there is still enough hair for him to swirl as he is going to sleep at the back.

And 2 has hit with a storm...

The 13th of June came and went, Xavier turned two, got poison ivy on his hands, stepped on a stinging Caterpillar...but all seemed relatively normal...then 2 years and 1 week hit and it was like Xavier's head spun around and his bad twin has come out to play!!!

Don't get me wrong, Xavier is still the lovely boy that he has been, but every once in awhile he gets this strange nerve spark in his brain and gaskets get blown and the terrible 2's come out in full force!!!

Last night he had a complete melt down because his mac and cheese noodles were not elbow noodles, but straight noodles and how could I have been so neglectful and not have known that only elbow noodles work? The only way to calm the noodle storm was to eat a grape Popsicle, but then that fell apart and there was no holding back the head spinning. Thank goodness gee-ma was out watering the garden, because if your parents are not up to par, gee-ma and papa can solve all problems.

So as we are tip-toeing around the lovable head spinning 2 year old who has invaded our home, I just marvel that about 3 weeks ago I was thinking, yeah I think I could handle another kid, which I guess hasn't really changed, but there is definitely doubt...

The craziest part of all this new side of Xavier is that he has officially moved into a separation anxiety phase. Every morning I wake up with him next too me, even though he went to sleep in his own bed. The funniest, this morning when I woke up, Xavier was sleeping with me and Jeremiah was sleeping in Xavier's bed (pictures to come of this). I got a good chuckle out of the fact that Jeremiah was covered up by Xavier's small blanket that only covered from his shoulders to knees and Xavier was in the big bed with blankets galore around him. Cracked me up!!! Gotta love my men!!

I just have to keep my mantra going, "this shall pass"

On a non-head spinning note, I am pretty sure that Xavier will be swimming by himself by the end of this summer. He is so close to be able to keep himself afloat. He will just run off the side of the pool and JUMP into your arms and wants to go into the deep water. I have great swimming faith in him, he will do his last name proud!!!

Raising a Country Boy

4-wheeler-check, to'mater hat-check, jacked up truck-check, nothing but a diaper-check...

Sleeping cuties

This morning when I got up for work, Xavier woke up as well. Typically this means he is starting his day at 6:15 a.m. (ahhhhhhh) when he usually gets up around 7:20 a.m., so fingers crossed I snuggled him down with Jeremiah in bed and the below picture says it all....

Don't I wish I could just lay back down and go to sleep. What kills me, is they won't wake up until well after 8 a.m. now!!! Jeremiah says the mornings that they fall back to sleep together they sleep longer, sometimes until 9!!! How nice it must be to be Mr. Mom 3/4's of the time!!!