2 1/2...

My Sweet Cousar,

Today you are 2 1/2 years old, and I can hardly believe how fast the time has passed since you came into our lives. You amaze us daily with all of your new phrases. Your latest is "I'm sick" or when you don't want to go to school "I can't like my friends." You have developed your mother's sweet tooth and ask for candy daily. Thank goodness your Daddy is there on patrol, or we'd probably both eat sweets for every meal! You are so kind. Ellie's mom calls you the "Gentle Giant" and I couldn't think of a phrase that describes you any better! You like to give out kisses...especially to Lily Kate. When we ask who your girlfriend she is always the answer without fail. At school you insist on closing the gates in the doorways. You also insist on pressing the elevator buttons. If someone beats us to it, we have to wait on the elevator to drop them off before you will get on. You are a picky, picky eater. (You get that from me as well...) Very rarely will you sit still long enough to even finish a meal. You have to dip everything in either ketchup or ranch. Your favorite cartoon is Special Agent Oso on Disney, and you still love to watch the 2007 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I feel sure that we are the only people in this world with it on their TIVO. You can recite the months of the year and days of the week accurately. You have an innate ability to make everyone laugh, and, speaking of, you have the greatest belly laugh! You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read, and we hope that will continue! You are finally old enough to let us finish a page before you make us turn it! When you give us hugs, you pat our backs! You are growing more independent as the days pass and tell us often "I do it myself." Cousar, you are such a blessing, and we love you so very much!

Love, Mommy and Daddy Coming home from the hospital

6 months

1 year

18 months 2 years 2 1/2 years

Oh how the time flies...

I didn't realize until I started this post that we have spent every Memorial Day since Cousar was born at Tracie's parents house (Big Mike and Sweetie). They have been so wonderful to me, Justin and the boys over the years...we feel like they are Cousar and Barrett's third set of grandparents! This Memorial Day they celebrated 35 years together and they spent it with us and all of the little ones! It has become a tradition each year to line the kiddos up on the steps and take their picture. As you will see it is nearly impossible to get all of them looking at once but the pictures are still priceless (and will be great blackmail in the teenage years)! We didn't add Barrett or Lauren this year because he wasn't a fan of the cold water and she wanted to just dive right in...

Memorial Day 2007...

Grady, Reed, Cousar, and Kate

Memorial Day 2008...

Cousar, Reed, and Kate

Memorial Day 2009...

Reed, Cousar, and Kate

They sure aren't babies anymore! Oh how the time flies!

Cookies

Barrett takes his cookie eating seriously...

May 25, 2009

And they're over it...

May 21, 2009

I wasn't exaggerating when I said before that it was nearly impossible to get a picture of these two both looking at the camera and with a smile on their faces...it took exactly 36 tries this morning to get this picture! Below is evidence of how hard it can be to capture them both...

Cousar not looking and Barrett's shoe in the way... Cousar still not looking (because he knows I want him to) and Barrett apparently day dreaming... Monica Enlow did the appliques on the shirts...I thought they turned out precious! I just wish I knew how to do them...one of these days...probably when they are too old to wear them... Finally, Cousar is looking!!! Wait...Barrett is still in his own world...

Barrett FINALLY sees the camera...

And they're over it...photo session done...

Crabby

Crabby (and he was...)

May 18, 2009

When I picked the boys up from school on Friday, Barrett had a rash around his neck and on his cheeks. Because he has had sensitive skin in the past I thought maybe he had an allergic reaction to his sunscreen or a heat rash. Then in the middle of the night Friday he woke up with a temperature of 103. We sat up with him for a little bit and gave him some motrin...the fever broke by morning. His temp continued to stay low until nap time Saturday...and that's when the screaming began (Barrett screaming, that is...). He and I loaded up and headed to Urgent Care and left Justin and Cousar at home to get a nap (which never happened). The doctor tested him for strep...it came back negative...so Barrett was diagnosed with a fever virus...I have come to the conclusion that a fever virus is the diagnosis they give when they can't find anything else wrong...B continued to run a fever on Sunday... So today we had a sick day at home...we even let Cousar join us...

We spent most of the afternoon outside playing in the frog pool that Aunt Joyce gave the boys last summer! They both love it!

Raining AGAIN...

This morning we had nowhere to be...our first free Saturday morning in several weeks! It was raining AGAIN...so I needed something creative to do with the boys inside...and play dough came to mind...playing with play dough was a first for both boys (at least at our house) and I am happy to report that every bit of it stayed in the kitchen! Cousar went to work right away...using the cookie cutters, cutting "pizza" with the knife" (don't worry, grandparents! It is plastic and dull! ), and rolling the play dough to make balls...

Barrett observing Cousar closely! He usually does this when they play together...takes in everything Cousar does, and then immediately copies him! He did eat just a tiny bit of play dough when I had my back turned! (The green slobber and funny face gave him away!) I think it was enough to keep him from ever doing it again! (One great thing about a pacifier - it tends to keep B from putting foreign objects in his mouth!)

Cousar making a snake...or rather, taking Mommy's snake apart...and, yes, that is a big tub of green play dough! It was originally for the kids to play with at Barrett's green themed birthday party, but I forgot to put it out!

All of the snake making and cutting with knives freed me up to work on my couponing! I am soooooo behind!

Our next activity was a bath (which is why Cousar was topless in the picture below), and then

Sweets called... "Hello...Sweets, Sweets. Hello...Where are you, Sweets?"

"You won't be back until, when?"

"Sweets, let's say our months together...May, June, July, August, September, October...I'll be driving by then!!!"

"Oh, thank goodness. You'll be back to see me before then! I need someone to get control of Mommy, Daddy, and Barrett!"

Next up was lunch...even though it felt like we had just finished breakfast...

Cousar no longer wants to sit in his high chair for meals...he wants to sit in a "big" chair like Mommy and Daddy...if only we could figure out how to get him to stay in it for the entire meal!

And Barrett no longer wants us to feed him with the spoon. He wants to do it himself...you can well imagine the number of outift changes in our day now...

"I want to go to the beach..."

Today I bought the boys a beach ball (one each, of course) from the Dollar Tree (my favorite store)! As soon as I told Cousar what it was he started saying, "I want to go to the beach." I almost couldn't get him out of his carseat when we got home because he kept insisting that he wanted to go to the beach!!!

Getting ready to throw the ball in the air...

May 13, 2009

Barrett loves his beach ball, too...

The Great Outdoors

Barrett LOVES the outdoors!!!

May 13, 2009

The Burgess Garden...

This year is the second year Justin has planted a garden. Last year was a pretty good dress rehearsal...I think this year's garden is going to be much more successful!

The boys have helped a lot in the garden...from planting seeds, to digging holes, to watering the garden...

Barrett performing an inspection...

Justin may have to correct me on these...I think the plant above is a tomato plant.

Some sort of beans...

My zinnias are coming up! They should bloom soon...

Corn...