This Year's Pumpkin Patch Adventure

It is finally starting to feel like fall!! We have had our first cold spell of the fall and we spent the day with the windows open and the crisp cool air felt so refreshing. As it is finally feeling like fall, it is time to get the boys out to the local Pumpkin Patch to pick out some pumpkins and get some pictures (of course). Last year, getting the boys to the Pumpkin Patch was a challenge because I had to do it alone due to our different work schedules. This year was wonderful as we were able to experience the pumpkin patch as a family.

Last year, the challenge was getting the boys to sit up in a spot with pumpkins and take a picture. This year, the challenge was getting the boys to sit still in a spot with pumpkins to take a picture. The boys were all over the place. It was a lot of fun to see the boys explore the pumpkin patch but very nerve racking because the pumpkin patch is near a very large intersection. There is a fence between the pumpkins and the street but I was still not comfortable letting the boys run free.... maybe next year!

I would hold the hands of two of the boys while we would let the third explore with Daddy following closely. There was an area with a ton of little pumpkins that was a good distance from the road so all the boys were able to walk around and pick out their very own little pumpkins. It was nice to experience this as a family and we were also able to get a picture of the five of us. Here are some pictures from our outing....

Here are the little pumpkins...

Team Darnell's family pic...

The boys were more interested in the display than taking a picture...

Jared spent a little time exploring pumpkins but was not as interested as his brothers...
Jared was more interested in just running....
Daddy thwarts Jared's escape attempt....
Andrew remained suspicious of the strangers as usual....
The boys start hunting for their perfect mini pumpkin....
Daddy assists with the search...

The boys must have thought the pumpkins were a big ball pit because the started tossing the pumpkins but they eventually found the ones to call 'their own'....
Andrew was so very proud of his selection...
Wes could not make up his mind. There were so many pumpkins...
The problem was Wes is more suited for the big pumpkins.....
Then he finds a wheelbarrow full of big pumpkins. This is more Wes' speed....
Immediately after Wes' discovery, Andrew 'discovers' the same! In the "Monkey See - Monkey Do," Andrew is definitely the "Monkey Do"...
However, still proud of his choice. He was truly beaming with pride once he found this pumpkin...

Wes, on the other hand, really wanted a big pumpkin...
Wes must have wanted the big pumpkin to impress the ladies. He is seen here trying out his best "How you doing?" line on this lovely lady! This sounds a lot like "hi, hi, hi, hi." After wooing her with his amazing charm, he proceeds to prove his worth by handing her father not one, not two, but three pumpkins. What exactly is the price (in pumpkins) for a lady's heart these days??? Oh Wes, the lady's man....
After the evening at the pumpkin patch, we headed out to Outback for dinner. When we arrived, it was about a 20-25 minute wait. Well, this was the time for the first available table. The time for the first available table that could accommodate two adults and three high chairs was about an hour. However, our patient little guys were little troopers and survived the wait. We had to break out the milk and cheerios after about 45 minutes but we made it to our table unscathed. Here is Jared trying escape again before we broke out the emergency cheerios....

Once at the table, we were all very ready to eat. I was reluctant to look at my watch as I knew it was well past the boys' 6pm dinner time and we were even passed their 7:30pm bedtime. Jared was visually tired and at one point we thought he was going to put his head down on the table to close his eyes. At this moment, he reached over and pointed to my watch as if to say, "Do you know what time it is lady?" The boys made it through dinner and ate until their tummies were very full. Andrew was even leaning back in his high chair with the look of someone who was uncomfortably full. If their pants had buttons, I would have unbuttoned that top button to provide him some relief.

We arrived home and dressed the boys for bed. At 9pm, their day was finally done! After collecting the books from the boys, they all laid right down to go to sleep. No jumping needed to burn off extra energy, they were spent! Maybe they will sleep in tomorrow since they had a late night... wishful thinking I am sure!!!

Take care,

Good Idea Gone Bad...

The boys are little sponges and are continuously learning new things all the time. It really is amazing at how fast they are learning new things these days. One of their most recent acquired skills, is to put their sippy cups in the sink when they are done with their milk. Here is a video of Wesley demonstrating his new skill....

We were so very proud of the boys but then... we probably should have thought about the consequences of teaching this skill a little more. The boys caught on very quick to putting their sippy cups in the sink. However, they have also learned that it is very fun to put almost anything in the sink. Check this out...

At the end of the day, this is what the sink looks like...

This makes it pretty easy to pick up the toys at the end of the day as they are all in one place. However, we have to make sure we are keeping the sink clean of dishes.

Take care,

18 Months Smacks Us in the Face!!

Yesterday the boys turned 18 months-old, and we started the day out with a bang. Wesley tripped and landed on his sippy cup, busting his lip in the process. Later on, Andrew ran full steam into a door frame. He now has a bump and bruise on his forehead. Poor guys...they play hard and fast but haven't learned yet how to use the brakes. We have joked about who would be the first one to visit the local emergency room. My money is on Wesley. Why? Because it only takes a second for him to do this.

Fortunately the rest of the day was without incident, or hospital visits.

Today we had our 18 month doctor's visit. Mommy was called out of town for a meeting, so I was faced with taking the boys by myself. I am not as confident as Kellie taking the boys places, for fear of misplacing one. We found someone to help out but they couldn't make it at the last minute. So there I am in the parking lot, airing up the tires on our triple decker stroller, stressing about how I am going to get this thing through the front door of the doctor's office. With the help of the office staff, our visit was actually not bad at all. I used to dread sitting in our room waiting for the doctor. They understandably keep it warm in there, and the boy's curiosity had them getting into everything. Today the boys sat in chairs and were flipping through some books. We also played with the paper from the examination table, and I entertained them by making small pieces float from the ceiling. Andrew has become increasingly weary of strangers, so he was upset when the doctor came into our room. Everyone did great, and checked out just fine. Oh, and we had to get shots. I am surprised at how fast they recover from someone holding them down and stabbing them with needles. There were some tears, but the nurses were great helping me calm the boys down. Here are the stats for each of the boys.

Andrew:

Height 34 inches - 90th percentile

Weight 27 lbs 15 oz - 75th percentile

Head circumference 47.3 cm - 35th percentile

Jared:

Height 34 3/4 inches - 97th percentile

Weight 27 lbs 3 oz - 65th percentile

Head circumference 49.7 cm - 93rd percentile

Wesley:

Height 34 1/2 inches - 96th percentile

Weight 25 lbs 4 oz - 40th percentile

Head circumference 47.3 cm - 35th percentile

Its funny to see those numbers on paper, because Jared doesn't seem like the tallest, and Andrew seems 5 pounds heavier than his brothers because he is so stocky. The differences in their body types, personalities, and mannerisms make each one unique. It is amazing to watch them grow and interact with each other. Even the way they play is unique from each other. I have been home with them for over 6 weeks now, and everyday we discover something new. One day I overhear Wes say "dog", the next I see Drew sign "banana" as I am making his breakfast. They never fail to amaze me. We have good days and bad, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges of being a stay-at-home dad. I put together some video taken over the last week or so, and set it to music. My fantasy of being a rock star is being realized through the videos I create for them. Also, here are some photos!

Stick a fork in me, I am done.

I love this picture. Wes normally only shares his veggies.

We put on our big boy clothes for the doctor visit.

I make this look goooooooood...

The boys enjoy a post-doctor beverage.

Jared is in the 100th percentile for flexibility!

And finally, here is the video. Its about 2 1/2 minutes long, so it may take some time to buffer. Enjoy!

Fun with Daddy!

When I get home each day, I hear the stories about what Daddy and the boys did that day. I hear about their walks, their playtime and about the latest episode of Yo Gabba Gabba. On some days I also hear about how much time they spent on the tables and how they were not interested in eating. I miss spending more time home with the boys now that I am back working 5 days a week in the office. However, I am very happy that Daddy is able to stay home with them. The Darnell men in their matching hats heading out on one of their walks...

While Daddy shares his daily adventures with me, I also get to experience some of their fun times through the pictures and video on the camera. I love scanning through the camera at the end of the day to see what I find. It's one thing to hear the story and it's a lot better to see the pictures or video. Here is one of my favorite finds on the camera of the boys having a great time dancing around....

I love that Daddy takes so many pictures and video of the boys. I know the boys drive Daddy crazy at times but it looks like the Darnell boys also have a ton of fun!!

Take care,

I Wear My Sunglasses....

I arrived home early from work today. I was wearing sunglasses on my head and the boys were all trying to grab my glasses. I decided to get the sunglasses the boys wore on their 1st 4th of July so that they could have their own sunglasses. The boys found this quite amusing!

Jared:
Andrew:

Wesley:

Aren't these boys some super cool kids? Too cool for school!

Take care,

Sweet Baby J

Our Sweet Baby J!!

Each of the boys has their very own distinct personality that makes them unique. Jared is by far the quiet one of the bunch. He is very happy playing by himself. He really enjoys building with blocks and trying to figure out anything mechanical. He also has an amazing attention span. Andrew will play with something for two minutes and then need to move onto something else. Jared can play with something for 30 minutes to 45 minutes easy. He is so quiet that I sometimes worry that he does not get the attention that his brothers get because Andrew and Wesley are "in your face" kind of kids.

Jared's new favorite game is "Where's Jared?" When he is playing quietly, we will glance over and see that he has both of his hands over his eyes. With a prompt, "Where's Jared" he will "reappear" and laugh. We often wonder how long he had been sitting with his eyes covered.... He will also peek out between his fingers to see if you are looking. I can already see this cute toddler game turning into a different game when he is a little older and we really can not find him because he likes to be alone.

When he wakes up in the morning or from nap, he will lay in his crib quietly without making any noises. The second Andrew or Wes wakes, we know it! But Jared, he will just lay in the quiet. We nicknamed him "the Baby" which turned into "Baby J" because he was the smallest of our trio at birth and was so tiny compared to his brothers. He continues to be our "Sweet Baby J."

Here is a little video that shows a typical Jared type moment. In this video, Andrew and Wes are playing in the living room and Jared is no where to be found. I find him playing with a sock and shoe in the boys' play room. He was trying to get this sock into the shoe for a very LONG time (in toddler time)...

Jared is definitely very quiet and enjoys playing alone. However, he also gets his feelings hurt the easiest. If he is playing with something and one of his brothers come up and take it away from him... watch out!!! No matter the severity of the offense, it all seems like he end of the world to Jared.

Jared - we sure do love you... just the way you are!!!

Take care,

Our New 'Big Boy' Room

It feels like just yesterday that we were deciding how to decorate the nursery for our three babies that we had only seen through many different ultrasound photos. Once we learned that I was carrying Boy, Boy and Boy, there was very little discussion. Everyone knew that the room would be Sports, Sports and more Sports!

My wonderful friends Debbie and Tracy traveled up one weekend to visit, watch some Game Show network with me since I was a complete baby blob and paint our nursery. After that weekend, I blinked and the room was filled with three beautiful babies. I have some of my most special memories in the nursery during our nighttime feedings. I loved being alone with music playing and rocking with my boys while they ate. It feels like from that point until now, our lives have been on fast forward and the boys just keep growing bigger and stronger. The nursery was conveniently located in an adjoining room to the master bedroom. This was perfect for a while but it was time for the boys to move into their new room.

I think it took us longer to decide exactly how to decorate this room than the nursery. We wanted a room that boys could have as they develop from toddlers into little boys. The boys' new room has high ceilings which provided great opportunity. However, since we are not artistically talented like Ms. Debbie, we had to be a little creative. Mike and I worked together on the decorating decisions but he gets all the credit for the execution. Here is a glimpse into the boys new 'big boy' room....

This is the wall above the main wall in the room. Jared's crib is right below the phrase "In The Zone"....
This is the right corner wall. Wesley sleeps directly below the Catcher and the word "Score"...
This is the left corner. Andrew sleeps below the Running Back and the words "Think Tough"...
The wall across from the boys' cribs has the Basketball players. The football and baseball guys are about 3.5 feet tall and the basketball players are 6 feet tall.....
For a little perspective, here are a couple photos of the boys in their cribs getting ready for their nap. They now sleep under the protection of the ball players. These pics were taken before the inspirational phrases were added. Here is Andrew already gaining inspiration from the ball player as he winds up to throw Curious George....
Don't worry, the nursery is still the boys' room. We have turned this very special room into our new play room. We were unsuccessful in baby proofing the closet doors so we just took them off. We painted the inside of the closet and added a curtain. Ta da.... it's part of the room. The boys will even hide in there. Mike also added a mirror at the boys' height and they love playing with these new friends. The boys also enjoy gazing into the master bedroom. Don't worry, we still have privacy curtains over the doors....

The room also has twin beds that the boys use for jumping, rolling around, hiding under pillows and for overall play. We opted for slip covers over the mattresses so we do not have to make these beds everyday. There are a pile of pillows for the beds including a football and baseball pillow. However, the boys like to toss them around so they are not in the picture below...

I am so pleased with the way the new room has turned out. It is a shame that the room is almost always dark because the boys use it for sleeping only. However, I am confident that this will be a room that they will be able to grow into as they grow into little boys. I also think they already like the room because they point to the ball players. We now say good night to everyone. Just like the book, Goodnight Moon, we go around the room and say "good night football players," "goodnight baseball players" and "goodnight basketball players."

I almost welled up with tears the first time Wes stood in his crib and pointed to the football player above his crib and said "fu-bol."

This post would not be complete without sharing some of my husband's humor. It's not a secret that I am the sports fanatic in our family. Mike is a very good sport and is learning to accept a Sunday of Buccaneer football. I am confident that he will learn to love it when the boys are running around on the field. Until then, he is still learning. The shadow figure decals come with mini decals to help with positioning and testing the wall. I wanted the basketball shooter and blocker to be interacting. Mike used the mini decals to confirm what I was requesting. Here was his first example.....

Oh my.... the blocker is like Superman. No honey, try again... .

Sigh..... my silly husband! As you see with the finished product, he eventually got it right. I love this man for his humor and for putting up with me during this activity. You are a very patient man!!! I am sure your boys will love the effort you put into this room one day!

Take care,

Temper Tantrum vs. Hiccups

As the boys are approaching 18 months, the symbol of approaching 2 is definitely appearing.... temper tantrums! The boys are starting to get frustrated when things do not go exactly their way. Andrew is, by far, the most dramatic and intentional with his tantrums. His favorite move is a full arch of his back into almost a complete back bend. You can clearly tell the difference between his real cry when he is hurt and the cry of his dramatic expression.

We are doing our best to ignore the boys when they have their baby fits so that they all do not learn the way to get our attention is thrashing about. Tonight, Andrew was having a fit for an unknown reason. What made this fit blog-able was the pesky hiccups that definitely interfered with his performance. It is very hard to convince your parents that you are experiencing great trauma when a hiccup creeps up. As the fits do not last long, I was only able to grab the camera and catch a few seconds of the temper tantrum vs. hiccup moment. Oh and as you will see in the video, these moments end as quickly as they begin. Enjoy.....

This gave us a good laugh! Hopefully Andrew will see the entertainment value in this moment one day as well.

Take care,

Monkey Business

After lunch today, the boys demonstrated their skills once again. They express themselves with mostly vowels, so Daddy taught them to parlay that into a monkey imitation. Here are the results. The video is kind of dark at first because of the sunlight coming in the window behind their table.