Here are some recent pictures of Bryce. He loves to be outside, in the bath, and sleeping wherever he wants. Bryce on the porch

Can I go outside?

Asleep in his chair reading

In the bathtub

Chores! Is it a dirty word?
Cayden has had chores since he was very little. Now that he is seven his responsibilities have increased. He does the following chores around here regularly: putting away his clean clothes, emptying the dryer of clothes, putting clothes into the dryer from the washer, emptying the silverware from the dishwasher, cleaning his own room (which he hates), and feeding the animals on occasion. However, on this one occasion he also GOT (yep, GOT) to vacuum. If you can look closely at the picture you can see he is scowling at me because he was mad at me.
Me: "Cayden, I am going to vacuum in a minute but I need you to pick up your toys"
Cayden: "In a minute mom"
Me: Waiting.... waiting....waiting..... "CAYDEN ANDREW"
Cayden: well practiced eye roll
Me: "Thanks for picking up your toys and vacuuming"
Cayden: "But mom" or, at least I assume this is what he said because I was headed out of the room

He did vacuum and I was proud of the job he did.

Legos

Obsession

Cayden has a slight obsession with Legos. He loves building them right out of the box and he loves building his own inventions with the enormous bucket of Lego's he has accumulated. Cayden likes to share his Lego designs with the rest of the world and has asked me to put his pictures of his latest creation on the blog. This one is an ocean vehicle that has a hidden "mini speeder" in the back. I am awfully impressed with his creativity because I don't like to veer off the directions for anything.

Favorite Things

Climbing a tree near the parking lot


Cayden looking out at the rocks



Mom and Bryce

Cayden stopping for a picture and Bryce, well, not

Bryce looking at the river

Cayden's favorite things:

color: red
subject in school: art and reading

food: apples (and he is not kidding about this)

sport: basketball (but he will play almost anything - golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, etc...)

places to go: Hawaii or home

thing to do on the weekend: sleep (this doesn't explain the 7am wake up) and play Wii
book to read: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

book to listen to: Simon Bloom: The Octopus Effect

movie: How to Train a Dragon

My favorite things:

One of my favorite things when the weather is nice is to drag Cayden and Bryce (no dragging involved with him) out of the house and take them to my favorite place in Central Oregon, Smith Rock State Park. Smith Rock S.P. has some beautiful rock formations and is world renowned for its technical climbs. It has many trails that meander by the river and place you at the bottom of these tall rocks so that you can look up watch the climbers. A couple weekends ago when the sun was actually shining we went there and had a picnic lunch and went for a short hike. My favorite thing about this hike was watching Cayden and Bryce interact. Cayden would run ahead on the trail and hide behind a trail and when Bryce would come along Cayden would jump out and yell, "Boo" which Bryce loved. Watching the two of them together is pure joy.

Help Wanted

For all of you who read our family blog I would like to make a request. I have found a very cool website that will take all (or whichever ones I want) of my blog entries and make it into an amazing photo book. I am hoping this inspires me to blog more often because now I know that I don't have to blog and do a photo book but I can do just one and then at the end of the year I will take all my blogs from that year and make a book (or 2 or 3). Here is where you all come into the picture. If you read the blog and feel compelled to make a comment about the picture or the blog then I would love it if you took the time to do just that. You see, the comments also become a part of the photo book and I was thinking it would be very cool for Cayden and Bryce to get a book with their pictures and written memories but would also have the comments and messages from family and friends. I am keeping my fingers crossed here people that I can keep up. Thanks ahead of time.

I know, I know

Sweet Dreams

Confession time (and I am embarrassed): Bryce sleeps in our bed almost EVERY night. And, if I'm really being honest - EVERY Night for the past two weeks at least. Now, he doesn't start out in my bed but I'm beginning to wonder why I play the "you will sleep in your own bed" game every night. Dutifully about 8pm every evening Jeff or I will take Bryce back to his own room and read him a couple of stories while sitting in his chair. Then, we will get up to leave the room and lo and behold within 5 minutes he is out in the living room dragging his blanket and looking sheepish and cute. Jeff or I will walk him back to his room and the whole time he is saying, "hold you momma" or "read stories daddy" or "sing you momma" and we quietly and calmly put him back in bed (or in his chair) and walk out of the room again. He is given one more opportunity to stay in his room before we do the dreaded dun, dun, dun..... hold the door shut. He has come to anticipate this and will try the door once, cry, and lay down in front of his door and fall asleep. I do have to say that babysitting the door has given me some quality reading time because really what else are you going to do while sitting in the hallway waiting for your two year old to assert his rights to peacably assemble (with you in the living room and the tv).

Back at the ranch....

So, Bryce is asleep behind his door and for some reason before I go to bed at night I think to myself, "he will be much more comfortable in his bed" so I slowly open the door so as to avoid giving him a concussion and I pick up his limp body (which has reached 40 lbs by the way) and put him back in bed. However, sometime between 2:30 4:30 Bryce toddles into our room and wiggles around and falls asleep. I used to walk him back to his room in a daze. But, now, I am too tired and too lazy. But, at some point I know that I will have to start making him go back to his room. Just three more weeks until summer and then I will do it. I think. Maybe.

Tonight I will start by leaving him behind his door. He obviously is not so attached to his bed that he likes to fall asleep in there and doesn't like it so much to stay in there. Maybe he really likes the floor?

Ouch

Bryce's Bump

Bryce is a monkey as you all know. He climbs and jumps and runs ALL the time. One of his little experiments was climbing on the back of the dining room chair. He (and it) fell backwards. The chair was not injured but Bryce had quite a bump on the middle of his forehead.

My children are not the same...

I have heard many people say that they have children that are like night and day - opposite in every way. I never really believed people when they would start the talk - "we raised them the same way with the same rules and the same..... same.... same". And I would think "uh huh". Well, strike down my condescending attitudes because I am now the one spouting everywhere I go, "we are the same people with the same rules in the same household and I cannot explain why I have two different (and, I mean REALLY different) children. I love them both but it is like living with with someone with a multiple personality disorder. Here are just a few notable examples:

Cayden loves any and all kinds of fruit (especially berries). Bryce on the other hand will eat fruits only if they come out of a can and bananas. His dislike of berries even goes so far as picking them out of yogurt. I guess it works out that Cayden doesn't have to share his favorite things.

Cayden began sleeping through the night at 8 weeks and rarely does he wake up. When we moved him to a toddler bed he would stay in there until he asked to get out. He is still a phenomenal sleeper. Bryce, on the other hand, still wakes up most nights. I will open my eyes and he will be standing right next to my bed. He obviously sees well in the dark.

Bryce loves, loves, loves (did I mention he loves) to be outside. It was the way he would calm down as a baby and even now he cries if he has to come inside. Cayden enjoys the outdoors as well but is just as happy indoors.

Speaking of being in the house Cayden has an addiction to the tv that, to be honest, has made life a bit easier at some points but for the most part we monitor closely. And Bryce could care less about the tv. When we have cartoons on he will say "I no like that show" and every channel you put it on has the same response until he will go and turn the tv off.

Cayden could play with one toy for a significant amount of time while Bryce moves from activity to activity very quickly. It can be exhausting.

Cayden would, and still does, stay out of trouble. He hates to disappoint anyone and he loves to excel at his school and activities. Bryce's middle name is trouble so far and the rest is to be determined.

We love them both equally and marvel at their unique personalities. I believe that I was given two different children so that I can become a "well rounded mother". I need to spend more time fostering their differences instead of wishing for them to be more alike just because it would be easier.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Today was a beautiful day inside and out. Jeff and the boys surprised me yesterday with new blinds for the "desk room". I have been wanting to get rid of the ugly dysfunctional ones that have been there forever. Thanks guys! Every Mother's Day I think about how lucky I am to have the "mothers" in my life that I have. They have given me love and comfort and joy throughout the years. (Sorry mom about all the times I might have been snotty with you - I'm sure it was only once or twice).

Thank you to:

My mom - you made a ton of sacrifices in your life for me and it took me becoming a mother before I could fully appreciate that. I love you.

My sister - oh how you mothered me. Thank you. There are no words to say what I feel about you (and sorry about screaming "I hate you" when you tried to boss me around).

My stepmom - you love my dad and have supported me through the years. Although I didn't grow up living with you I knew you I could count on you for so much.

My grandmas - I knew some better than others but you gave me my history. You spoiled me in ways I never thanked you for. Your greatest desire was to protect me and I was a dumb teenager and couldn't understand that. Your independence is a legacy.

My mother-in-law - thank you for treating me like family instantly. You have never hesitated to help me or listen to my rantings and ravings... and, you throw a great party even when there is no special occasion :)

My "grandmas through marriage" - your longevity and spunk remain in my mind. Your love for my husband has had a huge impact on my life. Thank you specifically for noisy Christmas presents and cherry pie. You both are/were amazing to us all.

I appreciate all of you on Mother's Day!