February 2016

February has actually been a pretty good month.  I say it like that because who really likes February?  The holiday fun of winter is long gone, its not spring yet, its just usually cold, dark, and blah.  But we have had about as many 50/60 degree days as we have 30 degree days.  We've been able to get outside and play, and run, and have fun.  The boys have both been in a good school routine all month long.  I feel like we are all just now kinda getting used to Will's new schedule and loving it!

Will and Beth:

Like I said the new schedule is great.  Will and I have enjoyed several lunch dates on days when both boys are at school at we find ourselves foot loose and fancy free for a few hours.  We have also worked together on a few projects around the house.  We've also planned out 120 hours of vacation for the rest of the year.  (if we are coming to visit you you probably know about it, it you haven't heard from us you didn't make the cut this year! ;)  Also I gotta give a shout out to Will for doing a great job on Valentines Day!  He worked a overtime shift at the mall on Saturday before Valentine's Day the next day.  So he came home with Teavana Tea and German Rock Sugar for me.  I was thrilled that was thoughtful, and perfect and great, I thought Valentines day was over with that.  But Then on Sunday we all went to  9 am service and then I stayed to work in the 2 yr olds sunday school for the 11 service.  When I got home Will had single handedly with the boys in tow now less, gone shopping, came home, and made me a lovely steak, potatoes, and salad dinner.  With 2 little roses from 2 sweet little boys.  and I almost forgot the best part, homemade peach cobble for dessert! I felt a lot of love from all 3 guys in my life and really lucky to be their wife and Mommy.

Grant enjoyed some playdoh time on one of our warm days

The kindergartens did a patriotic program at the Illini kindergarten parent breakfast.

Rexie was so excited to preform his songs

REX:
Rex has been a busy kindergarten boy this month.  He's loving school lately (as long as his teacher is there!  She has had quite a few absences so he worries often she wont be there).  He had a school program this month, Valentines party, and a snow day!  What Rex is really, really into these days is Basketball!  He loves practice on Monday nights, he loves practicing at the court in our neighborhood any and every chance he gets, he loves his coaches and teammates, and he loves his Saturday games.  Things are starting to click for him and he's kinda figuring out defense and guarding your man, and rebounding, passing, (offense is still a bit of a mystery) and best of all he's starting to make baskets.  He's had trouble getting the ball up high enough but he's finally starting to get the strength to get it up there.  He'd probably made 5 baskets at all his practices until practice on the 22nd when he made over 16 baskets!  Which made his ecstatic!  And at the game just this Saturday he got his first in game basket!  Sadly there are only 2 games left in March, I dont think he will be ready for it to end.

Grant giving Rex a goodbye kiss as he heads off to school (this is not normal)

helping out at Rex's Valentines Day class party...I was in charge of it!

goofball x2

Grant and I did some farming

GRANT:

I feel like Grant has has a bit of a frustrating 4 month, maybe in anticipation for his upcoming birthday?  So it has been nice to have Will around on some of those ruff days to help parent. I've noticed a pattern that when he often has most of his troubles is within about 30 mins to an hour after Rex gets home.  Usually it isn't even related to Rex but I wonder if he feels a need to compete for attention once Rex is home or he feels jealous of Rex or maybe its just late afternoon and he's tired and grumpy and doesn't take naps and it doesn't have anything to do with Rex.  He does get grumpy when he's hungry so I try and keep him full of snacks.  I just want there to be an answer to why he is acting up so I can fix it but there probably isn't an answer I can fix its just a phase we have to get through.   He's starting to do more big boy stuff all the time and I do love being home with him.

the boys set up a trip line to catch bad guys

they also made a squirrel trap.

If you haven't heard the new lego minifig blind bags are out in stores (its like a holiday at the Rowland house)  So we bought some and ended up with 3 of the same character which was a wounded guy with crutches.  I said we have enough injured guys to build a hospital, and so the hospital was built.

we have a waiting room, ice cream/coffee shop, and 1 ER room, also a jail cell just in case crooks are causing trouble.

There was also a request to build a bank.  In their first day of business they did 2 transactions and were robbed 18 times. 

it has a vault with a secret roof that opens up, but the crooks seem to have found out about it.

Before I start my next thought let me just preface it by saying that I love boys and everything that comes along with them.  I spent much of my childhood playing with boy toys, wishing I had a brother, and wearing boys clothes when I could get away with it.  So as you can imagine I was thrilled to have 2 boys of my own to raise, I love the toys, clothes, games, and sports, but I'm finding out there is one thing I don't really love about boys.  I don't really even know what its called?  It just all the goofing around with each other that boys do.  I witnessed it some with boys in youth group and college growing up but having never lived with a boy I don't think I knew the extend of it.  Just how physical boys are, and they are always pushing on each other, or wrestling, or daring each other to do dumb stuff, one up each other, that kinda a thing.  I think the boys at the end of 3 and 5 are starting to do this more and more and it can be maddening.  Maybe its just kinda peaked recently because its the heart of winter and we all have a bit of cabin fever, but I have a feeling its just a part of being a boy I didn't really know about and its not a phase, its hear to stay.  No walls have had holes broken in them YET, no bones have been broken YET, no clothes have been ripped off each other YET, but I feel like all these things are in my future.  Like I said I love boys but I just want them wear their fun boy clothes, and play with their awesome boy toys, and games in a orderly neat fashion, all while not touching other, is that too much to ask!?

my mops group had an embroidery class where I learned how to make this.

LOLs:

Rex: Rex had a really great dream right as he fell asleep one night and told me all about it the next day and he told me he needed to be in bed by 8 o'clock because that was what time his dream would be starting and he didn't want to miss it.  Well that night we were a little late and it was like 8:05 and I told him sorry hope you don't miss too much of your dream he told me "oh its ok its just the previews and the cartoon right now my dream hasn't started yet"

Grant:  Helped me buy some mini  marshmallows at the store the other day for a recipe I was making.  He also ate some while I was baking.  Then a couple days later I wanted to make another recipe with marshmallows (we are really eating healthy around here lately) so I told him "Grant you'll have to help me remember next time we go to the store to get some more of those mini marshmallows."  He said OK then a moment later he said, "I think I know why they call it many marshmallow because there are many many many in the bag"

boys hanging out on their snow day eating chicken nuggets for lunch watching the Lego Movie

We are looking forward to March, starting off the birthday season at our house, a trip to Texas, a few more basketball games, and more new Wildtree recipes.

This is what my new organizer by the computer came in.  I told Grant he could play with it hoping it would keep him busy for 20 minutes.  It kept him busy for the whole rest of that day and a good part of the next day.  It was his spaceship, he colored, glued, stickered, and cut on it for hours! (also now I may never be able to get rid of it)

Went for a walk in the woods on a 65 deg Feb 29th day.  I just Love these 2!