Gotta get June in the Blog Book!

Let's see if I can dust the cobwebs off from two months ago... I fully intended to post an entry for the month of June before we went to UT, knowing that while there I would take an insane amount of pictures and have a lot of fun experiences to blog about. Obviously, I didn't get that great plan accomplished. So, now I have a little catching-up to do before I get to document our awesome Utah trip.

In the month of June, Max graduated from the 2 1/2 yr-old's preschool class. They had a cute and short program where they sang songs and got their certificates. From his lack of interest/participation in any of the songs, it was obvious that Max did not inherit the Blane musical or performance-happy gene. He just stood there and fidgeted the whole time. I literally took a 4 minute video of the three or so songs they performed, and Max just stood there, uninterested. Oh well... it was still cute. I don't think he really understood what was going on or that he wouldn't be going back to preschool the following week. In fact, we saw his teacher a couple of weeks later at KMart and Max was acting really shy and wouldn't talk to her. When I asked him later why he was so timid, he simply responded, "It's okay, mommy. I will just talk to her again next week at preschool!"

Max and his "best friend" Luke. They get along so well and are so cute together. Too bad they aren't in the same class next year. Speaking of Luke, Max and he have had a couple of "drop-off playdates." Max went to Luke's house (and vice-versa) without their mommy's in tow. It was a milestone for me to just drop him off and leave--but Max loved it.

Another big event in June is Paul's birthday...

I literally slaved over his cake; it was a made-from-scratch yellow cake with lemon curd filling and lemon frosting--absolutely sinfully delish. He thought so too...

However, we were talking about it a couple of weeks ago and he had no recollection whatsoever that I even made a cake for him let alone what kind it was. So, I guess next year I will just buy one... (With lots of frosting for the boys to lick off--they love that nasty store-bought stuff).

Cute little Sam with a chocolate pudding mustache...

Cute little Max in desperate need of a hair cut...

Another really fun event in June was a visit from our good friends from Park City--the Taylor's!

Max and Lucy were best buddies basically from birth to a year and half old--right up until we moved clear across the country and they no longer saw each other on a regular basis. They got along wonderfully, though, and Max taught Lucy everything he knew about Spiderman.

Sam and Dylan are about 2 1/2 months apart and were very cute together...

Paul to Justin: "You wreck it, you own it."

Max giving Justin pointers before his solo attempt.

Justin, streaking around the yard yelling: "Hey Max, look at me! I'm so cool!"

Sam observing Justin's solo attempt, obviously thinking: "Wish I had one more ride before the bike gets destroyed..."

(To Sam's delight, Justin safely landed).

It was really nice to catch-up with Justin and Alexis and see their beautiful little girls. We also got to spend a night with them while we were in Utah.

Speaking of UT, Max, Sam and I spent the month of July enjoying the company of my family, seeing a few of our good friends, and playing and playing and playing. We were so busy that the time flew by way too quickly. As I mentioned earlier, I took an insane amount of pictures (no real surprise there). I think I took over a thousand pictures just from the month in Utah--of which I haven't even started to sort through. However, I will try to get the Utah trip posted before baby #3 arrives, (but at the rate I have been going I wouldn't count on it).

Fun Times in April and May

So finally I am at blog entry number three for the year. At this rate, the 2011 Blane Family Blog book is going to be on the thin side...

I have no idea why or what, but for some reason we are so busy. And every day seems to get busier than the one before it. Hmmmm... Maybe it is just that I am moving slower since my belly is so big? I hope this is the reason, because I am pretty sure that our lives will only turn into more of a hectic blur when baby #3 arrives. Speaking of, we recently found out we are having another boy, and, since boys are so much fun, we are THRILLED!! I feel like I should really accentuate the "thrilled" part. I am so annoyed by people asking me if we were hoping for a girl. A girl would have been fun, but we honestly just wanted to have another baby. Boy or girl, we didn't care. And I feel like the experience and relationship that my three boys will have with each other is such a special thing. I feel honored to be the mother of boys!!

Anyway, I obviously have a lot of pictures to post. My boys just keep getting cuter and cuter and the camera has been very busy...

Right before Easter we took a last minute trip to the Philadelphia Zoo. Max had been asking to go for quite some time, and we figured that the best time to go is when it is still nice and cool outside. Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones with this idea--the place was PACKED!! I guess it probably always is in such a major city. Just another thing to make me miss Utah. The Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City is probably smaller than the zoo here, but it just seems so much better. Not only is it cleaner and less crowded, but the selection of animals seems much neater and they seem to be housed in bigger exhibits. Anyway, I don't really like zoos in general, but the boys had fun.

Max was really hoping that this statue meant that there would be dinosaurs at the zoo.

Much to Paul's and my surprise, Max told us that the horses were his favorite animals at the zoo. REALLY??? We had to drive all the way into the city to see horses when we could have gotten an eyeful just a couple miles down the street from our house? These boys of ours LOVE horses! So, they were both quite upset when we wouldn't let them go on a two-minute, $15 pony ride at the zoo. At least they made do with this "wild" boar and their imaginations. We just had to promise them that Papa will take them on tons of horseback rides when we go to Utah in July.

Even with the crowds, the crappy food, and all the walking, Max and Sam had so much fun that they slept the whole way home. In fact, they were so wiped out that they didn't even wake up to the clicking and flashing of the camera or the chuckling and snickering of their parents.

This was the first Easter that I even bothered to let the boys help color Easter eggs. I should have waited at least another year. Max had fun and did a pretty good job, but Sam wants to do everything his big brother does and we definitely had some cracked eggs and near spills. Fortunately, the weather was nice enough that we could make the mess outside. Max got a little upset when he saw Paul and I preparing to eat one of the dyed eggs--he was just adamant that we had to hide them for the Easter bunny to find. I think he was a little confused...

Both boys were really excited to discover that the Easter Bunny had actually come (from the North Pole, according to Max) and left them with treasures and treats to find and enjoy on Easter morning.

MMMmmmm--Chocolate bunnies!! Actually, Max took one bite and decided they were pretty gross. He really isn't into chocolate (and I'm still trying to figure out how any kid of mine can NOT like chocolate). But, I will admit, those waxy hollow bunnies are quite disgusting...

Easter was pretty low key for us this year. We definitely missed the tradition and excitement of being around family, and of course nothing can compare to a trip to the sandhills! Fortunately, however, we didn't have to spend the holiday alone. The Impriano's invited us over for dinner and it was nice spend the beautiful afternoon with good friends!

When we got home later that day, Max set out on a bike ride. Max LOVES this activity and whenever we go outside the first thing he goes for is his helmet and his beloved spiderman bike. He is actually getting quite good at it and loves to ride up and down our street. A friend of mine recently invited us over to her house so the kids could ride bikes up and down her long driveway. Max was the youngest of the bunch and definitely kept up with the 4 and 5 yr olds--he was so proud--(and so was I)!!

Since I can't ever get Paul to do anything around the house, I have started to enlist Max's help. He even climbed up this ladder to put some caulk around the skylights since I couldn't get Paul to do it... (I am totally kidding--I am very lucky that I have a husband who can fix anything!! Max and Sam just love to help.) It became very clear after their pleas and attempts to climb up this really tall ladder that neither Max nor Sam are afraid of heights...

And once he reached the top Max was rewarded with a nice bottle of Scotch. (Or so it appears--this bottle was actually sitting on top of the corner cabinet but it looks like it was waiting for Max at the top of the ladder.)

Both boys love to help me in the kitchen. They obviously make more of a mess than anything, but it is fun to watch them try. In this picture Batman and Baby Rambo are preparing some beautiful Holden steaks for the grill and are mixing a lemon aioli sauce to accompany the artichokes...

The superhero theme is something that has been a favorite in our house now for a long time. Max has been obsessed with them for almost a year, and now Sam even asks me to help him don costumes on a regular basis. Sam has even added the words "BhaTTmaaan" and "Spyermaaan" to his ever expanding vocabulary.

This is Sam...

And here is Max...

In Max's mind the batman garb is not complete without the black cowboy boots and spiderman winter gloves. And, of course, Batman can only wear the cape with his underwear...

Sometimes even Red Spiderman (not to be confused with Black Spiderman) wears the black boots and gloves...

Even Batman likes to ride the spiderman bike...

And superheroes love to help daddy with yardwork...

Sam just loves tractors in general, especially when daddy lets him ride along.

Since we moved in to this house a few of the trees on the property have just flat out died. Others were so ugly that they just had to go. Paul bought a chainsaw and the boys had fun hauling the trees into the woods. (Notice batman chasing after the tractor.)

Paul lets the boys ride with him on the tractor while he is mowing but only if they wear ear plugs. We didn't have any on hand for the first mow of the year, so the boys just had to watch daddy from inside. It was so funny to see them running from window to window, following their mark. Here they are watching Paul from the living room side window...

And then they ran to the front to observe...

And then back to the living room...

... and repeat! What funny boys!

Here I am at 20 weeks pregnant--the halfway mark...

And here I am at 23 weeks pregnant. As of the posting of this entry I am almost 26 weeks along, and I assure you my belly has almost quadrupled in size--this little guy is growing!

Max doesn't really like to hit the ball off the "T", but he will let me pitch to him and it is actually quite surprising how often he can hit the ball. (I can't get him to bat right-handed, though.) It is so funny to watch him run after his bat makes contact with the ball: he dashes all over the yard in no apparent order or direction, then suddenly turns around and beelines for the basement door for a homerun. Of course I have to pretend to chase him in an attempt to tag him "out". We have a lot of fun!

I enjoyed an awesome birthday this year!! The first words out of Max's mouth that morning were, "Happy Birthday, Mommy--I love you!" and then he gave me the sweetest, biggest hug. Both boys were on their best behavior all day and I didn't have to micromanage any sibling fights or arguments (that's enough for a superb day right there!). I made it to the gym which always makes me happier and more energized. And then, I completed the night by making my own birthday dinner: sockeye salmon (which Paul grilled to perfection on cedar planks), artichokes, corn, princess potatoes and a scrumptious salad.

And then we finished the celebration with a yummy ice cream birthday cake (I wasn't going to bake my own birthday cake). Max had to stick every candle from the box onto the cake--how old does he think I am?

The day after my birthday was Saturday, and Paul and I were supposed to have a date night in Philly at a nice steak restaurant called Del Frisco's. Unfortunately, our sitter canceled last minute so we opted for Plan B: take the boys with us--not to the fancy place, of course, but out for a decent steak (my boys LOVE "cow meat"). We ended up at Outback, and, instead of Paul and I enjoying a nice romantic dinner, we spent the evening trying to keep the noise and energy of our two little ones down to a level that was only slightly annoying to the people next to us. It is definitely hard to enjoy dinner out with kids in tow, and indigestion is just a given. Max does a good job, but Sam just yells and throws things and thinks his antics are hilarious. Not only is it a lot of work, but it isn't cheap, either: no grilled cheese or chicken nuggets for my boys--they like their filet mignon's medium-rare!

We tried to snap a few self-protraits of the family, but Max wasn't cooperating and did NOT want to get in the picture with us.

Mimi came for another visit and fortunately everyone was healthy for a change. Both boys just love her and are always so sad when she leaves.

Little Sammy-Doodle. He is so much fun and so stinkin funny. Love him to pieces. He is talking so much, and will pretty much repeat the last few words of everything you say to him. Lately he has been infatuated with a deer that was in our yard recently. We saw it from the window during dinner one night and then it suddenly ran away. Now, out of the blue, he will say, "Deer, buh-bye! Deer, buh-bye!" We could be reading a book, playing with tractors, or just driving somewhere in the car and he will just blurt out, "deer, buh-bye!"

He loves to draw and paint but makes a HUGE mess.

He likes to play with mommy's makeup...

And he LOVES the squirt gun. He would spend all afternoon shooting water off the deck if I would keep filling it up for him.

Paul has been bugging me for months to cut Sam's hair. I have been hesitant to do so because he has these adorable silky curls that I just loooovvvve!

The front is pretty straight, though, so I am afraid that if we cut off his curls they will be gone forever.

Sam is really quite the "Daddy's boy". Almost every morning the first words out of his mouth are "Daddy, tractor?" I think he is asking if daddy is going to take him on a tractor ride today. Then, when I tell him that daddy had to go to work, he will repeat over and over again, "Daddy... wurrkk!" But, when Paul is home Sam is usually right behind him. If Paul is fixing something, Sam is right next to him, helping. If Paul is in the yard doing anything you can bet that Sam is not far away. If Paul has a shovel, Sam has a shovel. It really is adorable. Paul was doing something with his wheelbarrow and of course Sam had to go find his so he could be just like daddy...

I LOVE this picture...

For Memorial Day we had the Impriano's over for a BBQ. Sara just had her baby girl a few weeks before and it was fun to hold her and remember what it is like to have a newborn. It is amazing how tiny they are at that stage--it is easy to forget since they grow so fast.

After dinner, Paul and Eric made a fire so we could roast marshmallows. The kids all thought this was super cool.

And they REALLY liked the s'mores.

The fireworks were quite exciting, too!

Well, I think that this is more than long enough to compensate for my infrequent posting. My goal is to blog more often so they don't turn out so long. We'll see how well I stick to it...