Big Boy

The Erickson's have been dealing with sickness the last 2 weeks.  First Zach got a nasty sinus infection and then gifted Caleb and I with it this week.  Zach spent a day home from work and I...well there has been no rest for this mommy!  All of us have had antibiotics and I feel much better and I think Caleb is better too.

Caleb has been doing great without his pacifier and we are seeing more full nights of sleep!  I got a little excited about this transition going so well that I decided to try out potty training too...didn't go as well.  Caleb loves his pullups and I even let him wear some training underwear a couple of times.  He is so proud of them that he won't wear pants when he's wearing them, which is pretty cute.  While we aren't officially potty training yet, we are still allowing Caleb to try when he wants to.  I don't want to push him before he is ready, I learned that lesson with Isaac.  He seems interested but we will need to wait for his body to be physically ready.

Caleb in his training underwear

My boys love to wrestle and Caleb LOVES to sit on Isaac

This last picture is Isaac's handiwork.  He really wanted to take a picture of Caleb and me so I let him.  It didn't turn out half bad!

Mommy & Caleb, picture by Isaac

ABC's

This week we had Isaac's preschool parent/teacher conferences.  We were so proud to hear Isaac's teachers tell us how well he is doing.  They said he's a good listener, great participator, and a good friend.  We wondered a little if they were talking about our Isaac when telling us about the listening but extremely glad he listens at school even when he doesn't always at home.  People have told me that children are usually better for other adults than their own parents & Isaac is no different.  Thank God it's not the other way around!  Isaac's teachers told us he was definitely ready for kindergarten so we will continue making preparations for the fall.  Mostly this mommy needs to get used to the idea!

Caleb loves to sing and has recently "learned" his ABC's...at least through letter P.  He makes up the rest of the song so he can sing the ending of "Now I know my ABC's, next time won't you sing with me?"  He does a little better when Isaac sings along.  I got a video of it today, one of just Caleb & one of the both of them.

A trade...

Tuesday I convinced Caleb to trade me his pacifier for a new Buzz Lightyear with wings.  He went to daycare Tuesday afternoon without it.  He didn't cry or ask for it but he also didn't sleep.  That's not completely abnormal for Caleb as he is getting closer to not needing his afternoon nap.  So we tried again at bedtime.  He fell asleep quickly, because he didn't nap, but woke up numerous times during the night.  I laid with him and succeeded at never giving him the pacifier back.  Wednesday morning we drove to Des Moines and found a Buzz Lightyear with wings to seal the deal.  He took a good nap yesterday afternoon without it and only woke up once last night!  This mommy is hopeful that in a few weeks we will all be enjoying full nights of sleep! :)

Our new dishwasher

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks so I will post a couple this morning while I have time...

Our dishwasher broke in October and with the busyness of the holiday season, Zach & I just didn't have time to look for a new one.  Finally, the first weekend in January, after months of doing dishes by hand, we went to Des Moines to purchase a new one.  After a morning of shopping around we found a great deal complete with free installation.  We were thrilled because we could schedule the installation for a weekday and not use any of our weekend up with this project!  However, as we've learned before, no project goes exactly as expected.

When we remodeled a couple of years ago we put down a laminate "floating" floor that went right over our previous floor.  The floor added less than an inch of height but the installers couldn't get the old dishwasher out and we ended up pulling almost the entire floor back up.  The floor snaps together in rows but the contractor started at the dishwasher and worked his way across the room so the entire floor had to come up.  We were thankful for help from my dad on Saturday morning (so much for our weekend!) and within 2 hours we had the floor up.  We lived in chaos for about 48 before the dishwasher was installed on Monday.  Zach & my dad laid the floor again on Tuesday evening.  What a project but I am happy to have my dishwasher back!

Here are some pictures of the project:

Our old dishwasher

Zach & my dad in the process of removing the floor

The new dishwasher installed, floor still out

New dishwasher installed and floor laid again

Holidays

We have been busy over the past month preparing for the holidays.  This week we are back to a "normal" schedule and I thought I'd give an update on our holidays.  Christmas was pretty low key this year.  We stayed here in Indianola for the first time in 8 years.  Zach's dad and Grandparents came to visit us the Sunday before Christmas.  We had an enjoyable time watching the boys unwrap their presents and play with everything.  Memorable gifts include the wooden rocking horses that Grandpa Leif and Grandpa Don built and the Cars blankets made with love by Grandma Mary before she died.  Both boys use those blankets to sleep with now and Isaac specifically asks for the special tag to be at the top.  The tag says "made with love by Grandma". Isaac also got his first set of golf clubs and can't wait to try them out with dad this spring!

Christmas Eve we went to our church's Christmas Eve service for the 1st time in our married life.  It was a traditional candlelight service which I haven't done since college.  We all enjoyed it, especially Caleb who was fascinated by the lit candle at the end.  When we got home we made preparations for Santa to come by leaving him some milk and cookies.  Then the boys headed off to bed with excitement for the next day.

We opened presents Christmas morning, including the awesome car tracks that Santa brought the boys.  Each boy did very well in Christmas presents this year, no shortage of anything!  Isaac and Caleb both got figurines from the movie Toy Story and some more cars from the movie Cars 2.  We were planning to go out to my parents for lunch but my mom wasn't feeling well so we went to my brothers instead.  Christmas day was quiet but enjoyable.

My family got together the weekend after Christmas.  The boys had a lot of fun sledding down Grandpa and Grandma's hills.  It was freezing outside but they didn't care!  Again we were blessed with wonderful presents and no one can complain they didn't get anything.  We stayed out at my parents through New Year's Eve so we could watch the Iowa State bowl game.  It was on ESPN and we don't have cable.  Iowa State did not pull off the win but we had an enjoyable time with my family anyway.  We came back home that night and celebrated New Year's early and went to bed.

That pretty much sums up our holiday season.  This week we are back in the swing of things with Isaac going back to preschool and Zach working a full week.  Here are some pictures from our holidays for you to enjoy!

Zach and the boys playing in the snow before Christmas. Indianola got 9 inches the week before Christmas!

Aunt Lacy bought Isaac a backhoe loader and talking car for Christmas. 

The boys sitting in front of the tree ready to open presents

Aunt Lacy bought Caleb a green tractor with a hay bale and a talking car for Christmas

Isaac on his new rocking horse that the Grandpa's built

Caleb with his new tractor

Isaac on his horse with his blanket made by Grandma Mary

Grandpa Leif and the boys on their horses

The Erickson family

Our little family with the horses and blankets

Isaac & Caleb with the cookies and milk we left for Santa

Santa brought Isaac and Caleb a car track system and some figures from the movie Cars

Christmas morning when they came out of their rooms, discovering what Santa had left them

Zach reading the Christmas story from the bible while Isaac follows along in his Bible

Caleb got the dinosaur from Toy Story for Christmas

The boys playing with their new car tracks

Isaac got a DVD for Christmas from Grandpa and Grandma Beerends

The boys & I made a snowman yesterday 

Caleb playing in the snow

Isaac on top of the mountain

Caleb on top of the mountain.

5 Little Monkeys

We've been reading the 5 Little Monkey's books.  The boys' favorite is 5 Little Monkeys Jump on the Bed.  Isaac loves to say the story with me and recently Caleb is getting into it too.  When I picked Isaac up for preschool on Monday I heard our baby sitter reading the book with Caleb and he had almost all the words.  Later that night when Zach & Isaac were at AWANA, Caleb was singing it to me while I did the dishes.  I decided to try and get it on video.  He did a really good job but would only do it once.  Good thing because the camera died as soon as we were done. :)

We can't believe the holidays are next week.  I have so many things I want to get done before Thanksgiving but I'm not sure it will all happen.  I guess I'll do my best & the rest will get done after.  Zach & I are going to our high school retreat this weekend.  The boys are going to spend the weekend with my parents.  Their cousins, Garret & Alyssa will be there Friday night.  I haven't told Isaac that yet but he will be very excited!  We will be home Monday thru Wednesday and then we travel to Minnesota for Thanksgiving.  Very excited to spend some more time with Zach's family!  The boys can't wait to see Grandpa Leif!

Halloween fun

I am a couple weeks late in getting our pictures up from Halloween but better late than never!  The boys had such a fun time doing Halloween activities and the weather, while a little chilly, wasn't so bad.  Both boys were dressed as characters from the movie Toy Story.  Isaac was Woody and Caleb was Buzz Lightyear.  Both were incredibly cute!  Saturday evening we went to Night Eyes at the Blank Park Zoo with my brother's family & my parents.  The boys enjoyed trick or treating with their cousins.  They also enjoyed the inflatables and pedal tractors at the end.  Then Monday night was costume night at AWANA so Isaac got to wear his costume again.  His friend, Hadley, went along with us & just so happened to be dressed up as Jessie from Toy Story.  Tuesday night was trick or treat night in Indianola and we went with Hadley & her sister Carsyn (who broke the Toy Story theme and dressed as an adorable giraffe!).  We have more than enough candy to last us for a while!

Woody & Buzz ready to go to Night Eyes

Sunday afternoon Zach and the boys got out the pumpkins we bought at the pumpkin patch a few weeks before.  Zach carved the big one and the boys used sharpies to draw on their smaller ones.  I started helping Caleb draw a face but he just colored over it so I quit. :)  We put a candle in the big carved pumpkin and set them all outside.

Here are a few pics from the weekend for your enjoyment:

One of our favorite parts of Night Eyes is the free ice cream sandwich at the end.

Caleb ate the whole thing and managed to stay mostly clean

Daddy & the boys working on their pumpkins

Isaac with his pumpkin

Caleb's pumpkin (I drew the face and he colored all over it)

The pumpkins out on the back deck

Woody & Jessie ready for AWANA

Caleb & Carsyn wanted their picture taken too even though they couldn't go to AWANA

The gang ready to go out trick or treating

Headed out

Buzz & Woody, best friends

Caleb can't reach the pedals on our tractor so Isaac got on the front and pedaled him around.  Our boys are so creative!