Meat Makes Muscles

Ephraim used to have trouble eating his meat, so I used to say that it would give him muscles. He eats very well now and usually needs to show me after each bite how big his muscles are getting! 

Great Grandpa Gunn and his wife Betty came for a visit on Saturday afternoon. It was relaxing to catch up a little and have the kids meet them (and vice versa).

Gabriel got the camera for a bit and took a great picture of me watering our garden with Ephraim by my side. 

We had a friend over for dinner the other day. He is about 6 months older than Ephraim. Gabriel really enjoyed being the oldest one and proudly showed him around. Gabriel "read" books to them, including "Where the Wild Things Are" which he told in his own words.

Catching Up with Big News

I need to catch up with my blog--so much has happened in the last few weeks!

Easter came and went. The kids had a cold, so we didn't do much. I put candy in a few eggs and hid them around the house for the kids. The fun part was immediately afterwards when they took turns hiding eggs for each other. 

 

Then I got hit with the worst flu/cold combination I've ever had. Ugh! I was useless for two days straight (and I'm still trying to get rid of this sore throat). We all snuggled in the morning sunshine, it was wonderful.

Thank goodness we had a week off of school for Easter break. We needed that whole week to fully recover! They are so cute passed out on the couch.

On Wednesday, April 10 (happy birthday, Mike!), we had gorgeous weather! It was practically hot. So after I picked the kids up from daycare, we had a picnic dinner in our backyard, home-grown snap peas included! We currently have started tomatoes, more snap peas, carrots, swiss chard, and potatoes in our garden.

BIG NEWS #1 Ephraim is potty trained!!!
No more diapers for us! Last Tuesday, April 9, he wanted to wear big boy underwear. I explained (once again) what that meant. He tried to negotiate putting the exciting train underwear OVER his diapers, but I wouldn't yield. He agreed to go in the potty. He tried again the next day... and the next. Each day was a great success! After he went poop in the potty (supposed to be the hardest part of training), I gave him the promised toy--a Lego figure. He's ecstatic that it was a pirate! He is so proud of himself and deserves to be. "I free year old. I big boy!"

 

BIG NEWS #2  Gabriel lost his third tooth!
Gabriel's two front teeth have been slightly wiggly for a while now. Sunday morning, he bit into something and cried out in pain. It started gushing blood! After the blood stopped, he tried to eat again, but his tooth got caught and it was hanging by a thread. Mom had to yank it out (with more blood). After we all calmed down, I took a picture because it was quite exciting! This is the first tooth that he lost that we could put under his pillow (the first two got lost and swallowed). Ironically, after he went to bed last night, Gabriel ripped open the envelope to the Tooth Fairy and hid his tooth in his Lego treasure chest. I had a moral debate with the Tooth Fairy whether she should still leave a prize if there was no tooth for her. In the end, she left something. Gabriel explained to me that he really wanted to keep his tooth because it is HIS, he is fascinated and loves looking at it.

Favorite Photos

My mom just gave me some photos that were taken with their camera over the last few months. These are my favorites! The first three were taken at my brother's house last month.

By far, my favorite... so sweet!

We need one of these...

 Climbin' monkey!

The spider birthday cake that my dad made for E's birthday.

 Gabriel likes to play school with Ephraim and grandma while at grandma and grandpa's house.

 My precious snugglers!

Shower Time

The other day Gabriel helped me pump the gas into the van and a guy in his early 20s pointed out how Gabriel will be driving before I know it. I am happy to wait, but time sure flies. Two days ago, Gabriel said, "I want to try taking a shower, mom. I want to practice being a grown-up." So instead of his usual bath with his brother, Gabriel got to shower with supervision. He loved it!! We called Heather and he was so excited to share the good news. So tonight, I suggested it again and Gabriel enthusiastically tested the water and hopped in the shower. He shampooed his own hair and used a washcloth to wash himself. As he was rinsing off, he said, "Mom, how small or big do I look? 10? Do I look 10, mom?"

Oh, sweetie, slow down!

Spiderman Birthday #2

Last weekend we had a second birthday party for Ephraim. Can you guess the theme? 

 

We ate vanilla cupcakes (Ephraim's preferred flavor).

Hugs for Grandma Cook. Thanks to Megahn and John and Everett for coming. Heather made the day complete.

 Gabriel did a great job of taking some pictures himself:

Here is Ephraim earlier this week. He loves his rocks. He usually picks one up wherever we go and brings it home to add to our nature collection on the window sill. It is funny because he was getting frustrated with me that I didn't know how to play his game with the rock characters.

Happy Birthday, Ephraim!

On Saturday my adorable baby boy turned THREE years old!! I collected some of my favorite pictures of him. Naturally, I had trouble narrowing them down, but here are some of them.



Four days old
(big baby, latched well, slept next to me happily, such a joy!)

Three weeks old
(our sunshine watching us move around and playing)

Two months old
(adorable smiles)

Three months old
(prefers to sleep in his crib or side-along bassinet, not in my arms)

One year old
(love those cheeks!)

Two years old
(wow what a difference a year makes)

I am a little sad that I have been so distracted this past year of his life. It went by quickly in that sense. But he has grown so much and I have enjoyed him every day. Ephraim enjoys playing with his brother and imitating him some times. Ephraim is also very good at playing independently, even with Gabriel in the same room. Recently he learned to say his name correctly, no more "Ee-ee" or "Ee-um." He can say "Ee-frum" very clearly. He can easily count to 10 and higher and knows about 1/3 of his letters (more if we've been practicing). He has blossomed at daycare and loves playing with other kids. He thirsts for knowledge and Gabriel shows him the way. He loves making us laugh with funny faces or jokes. He'll suddenly fall "dead" (with tongue out) or become a statue to make me laugh. His common phrases are "dat funny, mommy?" and "just teasing you." Some things he says make me think he is wise beyond his years.

Birthday #1 in the Mail

We received a birthday package in the mail on Wednesday from Grandma and Grandpa Gunn. It was just what we needed on a crazy weekday! 

The kids weren't sure what to think of the special potion that turns bath water into green goo and then back again. They played for at least 20 minutes in it, so it was fun.

Gabriel took over the puzzle but Ephraim didn't mind since he got to look at all the hidden shapes and pictures in the Disney puzzle. The boys even knew most of the characters and were reminded of our trip to Disneyland.

We had a birthday party on Sunday with my parents (dual, with Grandpa McMillan for his birthday too). It was super fun. Pictures will be posted later since I forgot my camera that day (hey, mom, can you send me your photos please?).

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!

Beautiful weather today! Gabriel insisted on a picnic in the front yard after school for lunch. Ephraim happily agreed and helped set up.