Like mother, like son

When I was younger, I used to embarrass my older sister when I would pop out the lenses of cheap sunglasses and wear them as glasses. I even went to the extreme and told my kindergarten teacher I had glasses but my mom wouldn't let me wear them to school!
30 years later Lucas isn't embarrassing his older yet but he loves his sunglasses!

The Office toddler

Here is Dwight, from The Office, as a toddler. Aka Lucas

Where has the four years gone?

Isaac turned four this past week and I don't know where the four years have gone! We are having a super hero party this weekend so I'll post pictures soon. I got this idea from Pinterest-the mother load of ideas and crafts that I'm realizing I will never have time to do! But I did this one!

20 questions for the 4 year old

1. What is your favorite color?           green
2. What is your favorite toy?              Dora
3. What is your favorite fruit?            orange
4. What is your favorite tv show?      Dino Dan
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? macaroni
6. What is your favorite outfit?            Super hero pj’s
7. What is your favorite game?           Star Wars
8. What is your favorite snack?           Waffle Bars aka Special K cereal bars
9. What is your favorite animal?           puppy--his stuffed animal
10. What is your favorite song?           Dino Dan (I was unaware he had a hit song!)
11. What is your favorite book?          Dinosaurs
12. Who is your best friend?              Maren and Brennan
13. What is your favorite cereal?        Lucky Charms and Apple Jacks
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play in snow
15. What is your favorite drink?         Orange juice
16. What is your favorite holiday?       snow
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Dora and puppy
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? I already answered that but Lucky charms
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Mac and cheese
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? teacher

I wasn't surprised by some of the responses. You can really see that he is only four. He is living in the now and I've learned that I need to do that too. It'll be fun to see the changes over the years. 

First school picture

Here is Isaac's first school picture! I thought it was so cute I almost cried. He's getting so big. I can't believe he is almost 4!

Next Justin Bieber?

Happy (belated) birthday to me

I wasn't super excited to turn 33 but Nick and the boys made it fun.Isaac wanted to make me a cake and it was great.

Lucas was getting over a cough. So, Nick stayed home with him and Isaac and I went to the state park.

Vegas baby!

Nick and I had a long weekend getaway to Las Vegas and it was great. He says it was for my birthday and I say it's because we needed to get away. My mom graciously watched the kids and they had a blast staying with Mae Mae!

 We stayed at the Mandalay Bay (which I did not take a picture of for some reason). Above is NY NY and one of my favorites. I love the way it looks from the outside.

 Nick playing slots. We didn't do too well on the slots but surprisingly did pretty well playing Roulette. It was a first for me and we walked away with about $600! And the free drinks didn't hurt!

 This was Nick's favorite drink for the weekend. Of course, we had good intentions of livin' it up in Vegas but I think we were in bed by 10pm every night! We are getting old but for a better excuse the time change messed me up.

My sister, Rachael and her friend flew in from Boston and we had a fun time hanging out. We were able to see Ka--Cirgue du soleil. It was really good and highly recommend it.
And to top the trip off our flight was overbooked so we volunteered to be bumped and we each got a $400 flight voucher! I think we got the Vegas bug because we are ready to go back but I would like to go some place new.
It was hard at first to leave the boys but we I survived! We definitely needed to get away...together!

Making new friends

Isaac doesn’t seem to think anyone else can be his friend beside his cousin Maren and friend B from daycare. Nick and Isaac were in the  check out at Target and a little girl asked if he wanted to be friends and he said he already had a friend!  Nick told him he could have more than one, and he said, “but she can’t even come to my house!” I guess he has pretty high standards for what friends are.
We are learning that is very sensitive when someone doesn't say hello to him, when he says hello. It's ususally because they didn't hear him. Sometimes he has been very upset, as in crying, or he keeps saying, B didn't say hi to me, he didn't say hi to me.
We like it that he is sensitive but I also want him to stand up for himself. Which I think (hope) is big enough to protect his self. If not, linebacker Lucas will be!

Alive and well!

We are alive and well! I've been MIA for the past months but still taking pictures. Not sure if anyone even checks this thing anymore.

Quick recap from the past few months...

Isaac--started preschool and loves it. I feel it's the only way to get him to go to bed at night, we remind him he has school the next day. But sometime it doesn't always work.

He's growing like a weed and already up to my waist. I know it doesn't say a lot because I am short but he is only 3 1/2!

He reminds us (almost daily) he'll be 4, then 5, then 6!

Lucas is eating us out of the house! One of us might need a part time job just to fed this child!

He's walking and started about a week after his 1st birthday. He is into everything. Definitely more than Isaac ever was. He's repeating a lot of the words and Isaac is our interpreter. Half the time they aren't real words but Isaac makes them real words. He has a mind of his own and will let you know if he doesn't like something or wants Isaac or the dogs near him.

Will post more pictures soon!

1st Haircut

Lucas was definitely in need of a hair cut and looking back he needed it badly! 

Isaac enjoyed playing on the play ground and all the suckers he could eat!

Happy (belated) 4th

Happy 4th of July. We had a fun time at my mom's neighborhood parade. Isaac (me) decorated his bike and Lucas' stroller. We followed behind the fire truck, which Isaac thought was really cool.

 

Sirens blazing!



Lucas waved his flags proudly!

We are breaking the rules and we turned Lucas carseat around. He surpassed the height and weight requirements and it was just too long to be facing backwards. And I can say he's a thousand times happier facing the same way as his big brother!



With Aunt Rachael in town we wanted to do something different so we went downtown for the day. I goofed and thought a festival on the canal was going on and it was, just 4 hours later! Fortunately, some museums were free so we able to to the Eiteljorg.




Isaac loved the western theme! Giddy up!

 

Riding partners or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

 

Big boy!

Lucas had a great 1st birthday and then decided to top it off and started walking! He's all over the place, not to steady but he's getting the hang of it.
1 year stats:
Height: 32 1/2 inches tall
Weight: 27.2 lbs
He's my big boy. Surprisingly, he's only 3lbs heavier than Isaac was at 1 year and about 1/2 inch taller. He's right on track. Doc said we need to wean him off formula because obliviously he doesn't need the extra calories!

Newsletter: Lucas turns one

Dear Lucas,
Tomorrow you turn one. Twelve months on Earth. It has been a crazy, fun, life changing ride. You had a bumpy ride the first few days of your life and it almost drove mommy over the edge. They say "the second is easy", "you're not as worried as you were with the first"--well, that was not the case the first month of your life.

In the past year you've learned to sit up, clap, crawl, had 8 teeth by you were 8 months, got tubes for your ears, and throw mini temper tantrums.

Let's recap...

This is the second day you were born. Mommy hadn't eaten for about 14 hours and was hungry so I think that caused your sugar level to drop so you spent some time in the care unit. And you didn't like being stuck with a needle every time you ate.

When we brought you home, your big brother loved you from the start. Now a days it's a little different. You're into more things and you don't like it when your brother takes things from you. You have a little attitude sometimes. Daddy often asks, jokingly, where you get it from. I have no idea! But just remember, your brother is always there to protect you and "beat" or stop people if they are mean to you. (trying to change Isaac's words on this one)

Then almost one month to the day you were born, your little stomach valve decided to start to close up. That was the roughest, hardest two days of your parents lives. Finally a visit to Dr. L's office with x-rays, ultrasounds and tests (that I was not fond of) we discovered you had Pyloric Stenosis. Big word for just a little guy. Daddy was the brave one who stayed with the first night in the hospital and you guys definitely got in your bonding time.

After 2 nights in the hospital you came home and definitely got your appetite back. You love to eat and you love your bottle.

You a little different from your brother and you love to be awake and you don't want to miss a thing. That was a little hard at the beginning because you need your naps!

The Buck boys!
You are the happiest baby I know and you love the camera.


And you let your daddy put weird bows on you.


Once you learned to crawl you were off! We can't contain you. You especially love the places you shouldn't be--the kitchen (dog bowls included) and the bathroom.

You are your brother shadow even if he doesn't like sometime. But other times Isaac loves to show you new toys to put in your mouth.
Once it was time to eat real table food, you didn't look back! You will eat anything, including beets!
You've brought so much happiness, craziness and love to our lives. Can't wait to see the changes in the next year and years to come!

Love,

Momma

Random sayings/thoughts by a 3 year old

Isaac: I wish we could go to China.
me: Really? Why China?
Isaac: I don't know. It looks fun.
Daddy: Isaac, I wish you would start listening to me!
Isaac: I wish you would stop freakin me out.

Family road trip

We had our first family road trip to Chicago! It was tons of fun and the kids did great in the car. Hopefully just a preview of how they will be when we decide to make longer trips like to Disney!
It wasn't good planning on my part and I didn't even think to check the weather and it was freezing up there. They call it Windy City for a reason. So we ran around trying to find sweatshirts for the boys that weren't $40. Came across $10 clearance ones that they will need to grow into but they worked!


My oldest friend Sara and Lucas waiting for the train.

We went to the Field's Museum and they slept for about the first 30 minutes.
Isaac loved the dinosaur and all the animals.

Then Sunday we went Navy Pier and rode the big ferris wheel. Isaac wasn't scared at all. Rachel is Isaac's new best friend. He could not get enough of her. Nick and I usually have trouble getting Isaac dressed in the morning. Well this isn't an issue when Rachel is around. I told him to get dressed so we could go to the park with Rachel...I've never seen the boy move so fast!

I'm sure it'll be the first of many trips to the big city!

Family fun weekend

We took advantage of cooler weather one Saturday and got to the zoo right when it opened. It was a great day and the boys had a blast. I love this picture of Lucas. He's like--get me out of here and take this crazy hat off me!

Isaac rode his first rollercoaster and he LOVED it. I didn't even realize the zoo had a rollercoaster.

We topped off the morning with a train ride and the splash park, in the zoo!

We were home by 12:30 with lunch and kids were asleep by 2!

Belated Mother's Day post

I had a great Mother's Day. Nick surprised me with an iPhone!! Which for those who don't know is a big jump for me because I had a pay-as-you-go phone! Of course, I'm doubting if I really need it but I do like it. We went to zoo for the day and all the pictures below were taken with my lovely phone! Mr. Polar Bear just hanging out.

Lucas was enthralled. Of course, with his mouth open. He's such a mouth breather!

Isaac watching the seals dive. They were really active.

Isaac and daddy trying to find Nemo.