Last Day of Preschool

Today was Brody's last day of preschool! Raegan and I went to his class for an ice cream party. He was so happy. We stayed while Ms. Tia read them a story and watched him eat lunch with his friends. Raegan even got to eat lunch with the kids, which made her feel like a big girl!

I am so proud of Brody! He has grown so much this past year, physically, socially, and academically. He loves school and loves to learn. His behavior in preschool has been overall great. Just a few minor bumps in the road, but I feel that is probably normal. He is on his way to understanding what is appropriate behavior for school, and is doing really well. I can't believe Brody will be a Kindergartener this fall!

We love you so much Brody and are so proud of you. You're a great little boy, and we love having you in our family.

Confidence Builders

Last week, Ryan told Brody that starting this week on Monday, he will have to start trying to wipe his bottom. Ever since he was potty trained, we have, of course, been doing this for him. He tried a few months ago to do it himself, which resulted in a MESS and him being traumatized by the whole ordeal. But, with Kindergarten coming up in a few months, we knew we needed to get this done! After Ryan told him, Brody replied "Well, I just won't eat as much so I don't have to poop a lot!" He is so funny, and pretty smart! We all had a pretty big chuckle at that one.

So, Monday came and no #2 that day. Not sure if he was holding it on purpose, or just didn't have to go. Yesterday, I asked him if he had to use the bathroom, and he did. He ran in there and was in the bathroom for a few minutes. I heard the wipes being opened and then I heard him getting down and washing his hands. He came out so proudly, declaring "I wiped myself and I didn't get poop on my hands!"

Since then, he's had 2 other instances of success. We are so proud of him! Brody's pattern is always resisting change until he knows he can do something successfully. He doesn't like to be wrong or unable to do something. He just told me, "Now I don't need you guys whenever I go to the bathroom. I can do it all on my own!" :)

On Sunday, Brody had a soccer game. It was misting/raining and the field was super muddy. He had a game the previous day, I didn't go with Raegan. It was raining too, and I didn't want to take Raegan out in the mess. Ryan said he played really well, things were starting to click for him.

His game on Sunday, I could tell, he was really into it. He followed the ball better, stopped it and turned it the other way towards his goal. And, to our surprise and delight, Brody scored 2 goals that game! We all cheered for him and he was so happy. Believe me, this mom had some tears in her eyes! I was so happy for him. Another boost of confidence for our little guy, which is wonderful!!

Scrappers

Brody had his first t-ball game tonight. They won, they all played really well! His team is called The Scrappers!! :) He didn't get to field any balls, hardly any made it out to the outfield. But he got a great base hit! He was so proud! I'm glad he had a good experience. I think he's going to really enjoy it. Here are some pictures I got from his first game. Silly me....I was taking pictures from the wrong side when he was batting. Since he is a lefty, I should've been on the other side to get a good picture of him at bat. Next time, I'll know better!!

I tried to come prepared for Raegan. Lots of snacks and drinks and toys. But, she wasn't that impressed with what I brought. This is going to be a long summer trying to keep her busy during games!

Soccer!

Brody started soccer last month. With all of the rain, there have been several practices/games cancelled. But, he has managed to have 2 games finally! He really enjoys soccer. He doesn't always understand exactly what to do, that it's ok to get in there and try to take the ball, we're trying to score in THIS net, not that one.... It's pretty funny to watch the games. He has a really young team, lots of 3-year olds. So, believe me, we laugh a lot!!

It's funny. We spend all our time teaching our kids to play nicely, share, keep your hands/feet to yourselves. But, now that he is playing soccer, we're telling him it's ok to take the ball away, be agressive, run hard! He's a little shy about trying to steal the ball away from other kids. But, I guess he'll get it eventually! He almost scored 2 goals last game, he dribbled the ball all the way down the field, but just missed the goal. We were so proud of him, and he was smiling from ear to ear as he heard the crowd cheer him on. That's what it's all about!

I don't have a lot of pictures. It's hard to watch the game, take pictures, and keep Raegan entertained. But, I managed to take a few.... I'll be better about pictures from now on. First t-ball game is Thursday. I hope he has fun!!

Happy Easter!

After our very busy week, Easter was kind of thrown together. The kids enjoyed Easter Morning, hunting for eggs and looking through their baskets. Brody did most of the hunting, but Raegan was perfectly content to eat candy while her brother did all the work. I only got one lonely picture, but it is saved on our home Mac, so I don't have it to post right now.

But, here are some pics of Raegan with bunnies. They were taken a few weeks ago. She loved the bunnies, and looked pretty adorable. Can't believe she is almost 2 years old! The "Terrible Twos" are definitely upon us. Raegan is soooo ornery. She is throwing fits left and right. It's hard to not laugh or smile when she has a fit. I have a feeling this little girl is going to be a handful in the years to come!!

Fun at Disney World!

We got back from Disney World yesterday afternoon. It was such a nice family vacation! Everyone had such a great time. With 4 kids all under 5, we managed to all stay sane and enjoy ourselves! Can't wait to go back again, maybe in a few more years!

Brody LOVED any/all rides. We were kind of surprised by how much he liked them. He wasn't really interested in watching shows or parades. If it moved and gave you a thrill, he was all for it. Brody would ride the kid rides, but honestly, he preferred the major rides and roller coasters! He rode Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, Soarin', Test Track, and lots of little rides. He was such a good line-waiter as well! It was extremely crowded, so the lines were long. A lot of times, I would wait in line with Brody while Ryan had Raegan strolling around the park, or vice versa. We waited in line for Test Track for 90 minutes!! Soarin' was 70 minutes! He did so well, only whining and complaining a few times. Even managed to hold it when he "had to go!"

We got to see lots of Disney characters, which Brody also loved. Raegan, on the other hand, DID NOT!! Her grip on us got tighter and she wanted to GO whenever a character was close by. Maybe next time she will be into it! We had a few pool days at the hotel, which was fun as well. The pool had a waterslide, which was a hit. Raegan enjoyed playing in the water spouts and just running around and happy to be out of the stroller!

We had such a wonderful time with my parents and my sister and her family. Disney World is a magical place! Yes, it was hot, stressful at times, there were a few meltdowns. But, that is to be expected in such an overwhelming place. Both kids did well in the airports and on the airplanes. This vacation will go down as an awesome time for all of us! Thanks Mom and Dad for taking us and putting up with all of us! We enjoyed it so much and love you guys lots!!

Disney World - 8 days!!

We are leaving for Disney World next Saturday, 8 days!! I'm pretty excited! Brody knows the days left every morning. He's really looking forward to it. We are going during the busiest month of the year....yuck! So, we have to be prepared for big crowds, waiting in lines, etc. That part makes me nervous, but there's nothing we can do about it! I just hope I can relax and enjoy it. Those who know me know I worry and fret over pretty much everything.... No wonder my son is the way he is!! This week I have lots of organizing/laundry/packing to do. Packing for a vacation for 4 people is pretty intense. I keep telling myself if I forget something, I can just buy it. No big deal!

This week is Spring Break. We've had pretty nice weather, for the most part. The kids love being outside, so we spend most of the day doing that. As I sit here and type this, Raegan is whining at the door to go outside. I guess that's where I'll be in the next 5 minutes! Brody watched the movie Hop with Grandma and really enjoyed it. He loves to spend time alone with Grandma and Pappy. Raegan does too, of course. I can't pick up any phone now without a big fuss from her. She demands to speak to Grandma, no matter who it is on the phone!

We were pretty bummed when UK lost in the Final Four to UConn. They played a pretty sloppy game, shooting was horrible. It was one of those games when it started that you knew wasn't going to be pretty. Oh well, next year will be fun! We have a lot of excellent recruits coming, of course! This year wasn't supposed to be as exciting, so we're grateful for an awesome end to the season. Now, what do we do for the next 5 months until football starts?? I'm always amazed by people who don't watch sports. They must have soo much time on their hands in the evenings/Saturday afternoons. Our house pretty much revolves around UK's Basketball and Football schedule, as well as the Steelers games on Sundays.

Brody has started soccer practice and t-ball. He LOVES soccer, he is really in his element. He does pretty well, and really enjoys it. His first game is the Saturday we leave for Disney :( But, he will have plenty more this month and next. T-ball....that is a different story. His first practice was great, maybe a fluke? Last week, however, he did NOT want to be there. He did not want to hit, run, catch.... Brody is the kind of child who pouts and quits when he is frustrated and feels he can't do something. It may be our fault, in that we didn't prepare him as well as we should have. So, he is not a fan of t-ball right now. But, I'm taking him to a Legends game tonight, in hopes of showing him how the game works. We'll see how it goes.....

Happy Spring everyone!