WordPlay with Nikolai

1) N was eating breakfast on Sunday and asked me, "Mom, where is the mint in sacrament?"

2) N was sitting on the potty a couple days ago, pointed to the potty and asked, "Mom, why is this a train?" I was confused and didn't quite know what to say. I told him that it wasn't a train and asked why he thought it was. He didn't answer my question but finally after another minute or two deep in thought he says, "Mom, but what is potty training?"

3) (not wordplay but still cute). N has discovered that he loves t-ball. We were outside watching him hit the ball today - he turns to us after one hit and yells, "Mom, I'm AMAZING!" Glad to know he doesn't suffer in the self confidence department.

And here is one cute picture for you cause what's a post without a cute pic?

Grief Observed

Dear Reese,
I think I held my breath all day. It's as if the world paused today to say goodbye to you. We wish our overlap of time with you had been much longer.

We will miss finding out if you have your mother's generosity, kindness and warmth of spirit and your father's sense of humor and ability to make friends. We will wonder if you would have been a basketball player like Brig or a dancer like Cait. Would you be blessed with a darling Carter nose or the larger and more "exotic" Wilson nose?

Luke will miss head butting you to show you how much he loves you.
Nikolai will miss sharing his cars with you and then taking them back.
Uncle Steve will miss singing you the BYU fight song.
I will miss blowing raspberries on your stomach and kissing your neck until your giggles turn to hiccups.

Your parents tears etch your memory in our hearts. We let you leave us not willingly, but because you are already gone. With hope we wait to meet you again, Reese -- littlest member of our big family. We love you.

Love,
Aunt Mary

Peek-a-boo

Bottom Power! (danger: potty words ahead)

Nikolai has kind of decided he wants to go to the bathroom in the toilet.  It stems not from wanting to follow his body's urges, but from the mini car toy he knows he'll get if he manages to make something happen.  So last night he decided he really wanted an airplane which meant, following his logic, he needed to poop.  He sat on the toilet for at least 40 minutes with intermittent breaks for food and water.  Nikolai's words: "I need to eat food to push the poop out."  When the food failed to produce the desired action, I had to take him off the toilet and tell him we would try again in the morning (it was now almost an hour past bedtime).   There was crying, wailing and nashing of teeth but I was done waiting.   He finally calmed down and we were sitting in the rocker reading when he stops me for this important broadcast:

N: Mom, I'll go poop tomorrow when my bottom has more power. 

Ah, so that was the problem. 

License to Drive

N: Mom, can you teach me to drive today? I want to drive by myself.

M: Uh, no. You have to be 16 to drive.

N: Mom, I AM 16.

M: No, you are 3.

N: No, I'm 16. Are you 16?

M: No, I'm older than 16 and you are 3. When you turn 16 you can learn to drive, take a test and get your license.

N: What's a license?

M: (no words just wondering if I'm ever going to get back any time to think without someone asking why or what or if they can drive today)

Okay, Okay. . .

I'll post something new :). I've let so much of the summer slide by without posting that now it seems overwhelming. Let it suffice to say this has been a fabulous summer. Beach vacation with friends, lazy days at the pool, lots of play dates. The latest fun was had at our Hales Family Reunion down at Topsail Island Beach in North Carolina - absolute heaven! Here are a couple pics from the beach.

As for the boys. . . Luke turned 1 in June. He loves to say mommy, daddy, night night and also to put his hands on his cheeks while saying uh-oh. He eats more than the rest of us combined and head butts people do let them know they are loved. Here is how he sits at the table when he eats.

Nikolai just got a haircut as evidenced below. He loves relaxing and watching Little Einsteins as well as going around and telling you he's going to turn you into a fruit or a caterpillar. One of his last telephone convos with my sister went like this - "Hi Aunt Kate. I'm going to talk to you and turn you into a butterfly."

He's also very into sports. Kate was playing baseball with him and didn't realize quite how much he knew about the rules until he hit a ball to the side, looks at Kate and says, "Foul ball."

And last but not least, my dear hubbers who turned 33 in June. Here are a couple classic pics. Love you hon!

1) Who does this look like?


2) Gappy - so cute!


3) Check out those legs.

4) Make your own caption.

5) #1 Cougar Fan - Rise and Shout Baby!