What's Going On

In between trying to update my blog on our trip to Disney World (which seems it may never happen) I thought I'd throw in a general update about what's been going on at our house. Most of what's been going on revolve around the boys. They fill our days with soooo much energy, laughter, hugs, and life. I can see that they are becoming the very best of friends and the play well together about 95% of the time (something I hope never changes). When they are apart, which is rare, Raleigh is constantly asking for "Nys". We are thrilled he calls his older brother the same nickname Tennyson gave himself. Actually, he either refers to Tennyson as "Nys" or "brother", which he pronounces something like "Rah-ruh". Too precious!

We got a 2nd hand but newer Mac and since our iPhoto is overloaded it's been a while since I've been able to really do anything with my photos. So happy that's gonna change! Gosh, when Tennyson was little I was the Blogging Queen and never missed a milestone of his, even the tiniest accomplishment was noted. I feel guilty that Raleigh hasn't gotten that same attention to detail.

Speaking of our littlest man, he is really starting to talk! He's putting words together like, "More please" and "Me help" and "Thanks, Mommy". It makes me proud he's so polite all the time! I must be doing something right! Raleigh has also finally become quite the eater and out-eats Tennyson at almost any given meal. He's roughly 24 lbs. now and 35 inches tall and sadly the baby in him is all but gone now. Makes me kinda sad. Another sad thing is that about a month ago he stopped calling me "Mama" and I am now "Mommy". Don't get me wrong, I l-o-v-e hearing him say "Mommy" in that sweet voice, but "Mama" was just so endearing.

As for Tennyson......where do I start? He's getting big...really big. He's roughly 42 inches tall and weighs one pound per inch. He's nearing 80th percentile for height, so he's gonna be tall like me! WOOHOO! Tennyson has always been exceptionally smart, sometimes too much for his own good, and I'm sure he'll have no trouble in kindergarten next year making friends and running the classroom. Haha!! Tennyson has also become quite the comedian. Here are a few of the funny things he's said lately:

~ Tennyson went to VBS at a local Presbyterian the week before his birthday in July. I asked him what he was learning he said, "God loves you. God listens to you, even when you whisper. God hears our hearts...and big people...and lamps."

~ I asked Tennyson one night if he wanted some sour cream on his taquitos because they were a little spicy and his response was, "No, sometimes sour cream makes me do bad things." When I asked, "Like what?" He said, "Like poking you in the eye." Crazy kid!

~ The other day he randomly asked, "Mommy, why don't we have a jack-in-box?"

~ Last week we had a chicken and couscous dish for dinner and Raleigh was shoveling it in. When I joking said, "One of Raleigh's middle names should have been Couscous instead." Tennyson said, "Couscous is my real last name. That's what the old people call me."

Lately Tennyson has been into comparing how much he loves me, this number usually varies between 1 and 1,000, and Daddy, most often it's 1,000,000. Of course, we know he loves us the same, but it would be nice if my number was a little closer to Tom's! Oh, what a bond that father and son share. Tom does bedtime with Tennyson almost every night. Tennyson loves the elaborate bedtime stories, which usually involve playgrounds and chasing "bad guys". I told Tom I miss him asking for the more innocent stories of Thomas the Tank Engine and Disney World.

The boys still love to be read to, play trains, do puzzles (or "puz" as Raleigh calls them), play outdoors, spend time with their cousins, play hide-n-seek, and building Legos. I am trying to put more housework off and really try to listen more to them, their needs, and just PLAY with them. I really want to raise them differently than I was raised. I want them to look back at their childhood and say, "Boy, my Mommy sure loved me and enjoyed spending time with me. I felt loved. I felted wanted. I felt cherished." If I can do that then I've done things right.

I just want to finish this long overdue post with lyrics from an Andrew Peterson song called "God of My Fathers". This verse really speaks to my heart.

Now we're counting stars
and counting sand
Little feet and little hands
We're counting joys

Finishing Up 2010

Here are the last of the photos from the fall/winter of 2010. I am starting to feel a little more caught up in the blogging world, though I fear I've missed a lot of the details of daily life here in the Bates household. My goal is to stay caught up, especially for my blog readers that aren't on Facebook. :)

We went on a carriage ride at the arboretum in November.

Tennyson (3)

I was trying to get a good photo of Raleigh.....

.....and this is what I got.

Loving on each other

I think Raleigh looks suave in this photo.

Cold from being out in the snow.

One of the best purchases ever from the $1 Spot at Target - a construction hat.

The gingerbread house Tennyson and I put together one afternoon while Raleigh napped. Not too shabby.

Taken Christmas morning before opening gifts.

Tennyson sitting on his new Thomas the Tank Engine bike.

It's hard to believe 2010 is over (and I am just now getting caught up on it 3 months later). We had some highs, like my sister's wedding, and some lows, like Raleigh's scare with croup, but all in all it was a good year.

Embarrassingly Late

Okay, so I kinda never got around to posting about the boys' birthdays.....LAST July!! Groan, I have got to get back on track with this blogging thing! Does it make me a bad mom because I can't seem to keep up with documenting our busy lives? (Don't worry, I don't actually base my mothering skills or worth on whether or not I keep up with my blog. hee hee) I am taking the "better late than never" motto to heart here.

So before their birthdays roll around again in less than 4 months, I thought I'd do some catching up. It's amazing how little my boys look in these photos and yet they weren't taken all that long ago. It's amazing, yet sad. My how the time is flying by.

Waiting patiently to go downstairs to the waterpark

Tennyson enjoying the slide (though he preferred the adult slides)

Raleigh just couldn't stay awake anymore.
(Notice how curly his hair got because of the humidity.)

Tennyson wanted to go to El Charros for quesadilla and rice for his birthday lunch.

The tower of Mickey Mouse cupcakes

Tennyson listening to "Happy Birthday."

Raleigh enjoyed hearing my family sing "Happy Birthday" while he sat in Nana's lap.

Mmmm, sugary cupcakes

Love this photo! (Taken right before his 3rd birthday)

Catching Up

Oh my, I just can't seem to find the time to blog anymore. These little men keep me so busy! And when I do find a few minutes to myself I always seem to spend it cleaning....or sleeping. Not that I am complaining, so goes the life of a stay-at-home mommy. Part of me thinks "but I have nothing to blog about. Who wants to read about my 'boring' life?" But truthfully, it's so NOT boring! I mean, it might be to some, but I really need to keep up better with my blog so I can look back and remember these days, when my boys were little and what our day-to-day lives were like. Right now it's my whole existence, raising these boys, but in the not too distant future I will forget all the little things that make up our days like:

~ Tennyson correcting us if we "accidentally" call Raleigh "Sweet Boy." He says, "No, I am Sweet Boy. He is Baby Raleigh."

~ Raleigh waving bye-bye with his whole arm to Tom as he leaves for work. (He used to do a cute little backwards wave with just his fingers.)

~ The boys playing in the tub together and then endlessly kissing and hugging each other good night.

~ Tennyson hiding under the covers during storytime when the other parent comes into the room. Like we don't hear him giggling and see the covers moving.

~ The boys holding hands in the back seat as we run errands and then Tennyson says, "Look, Mommy, we being friends."

~ Raleigh "dancing" during the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song by holding on to the table and rocking from side to side.

~ The sound of Raleigh breathing through the baby monitor.

~ Or the way they smell after a bath.

~ Or the sight of them playing ball together in the backyard.

~ Or how tired we always seem to be yet supremely happy.

I don't want to forget any of these moments. I've waited for them my whole life. To see my children playing together is bliss (when they play nicely, of course).

Obviously some days are better than others. Some days I feel like all I do is carry Raleigh on my hip, discipline Tennyson, and clean up their messes. Getting the laundry done and taking a shower is still cause for rejoicing. But I rest in the knowledge that I am right where I need to be. And that's enough for me....every day.

The Month Between

The rush between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a blur in any year, but this year was particularly bad because we found out 2 days before Thanksgiving that our landlord sold the townhouse we had been renting since we got married and we had to be out by the end of the year. (More on the unfortunate move in another post.) So naturally I didn't get to take near as many photos as I would have liked, but here are some from that crazy month in between.

Tennyson thought it was fun to walk around the house with this on his head.

Raleigh (4 months)

Tennyson helping my sister make cookie bars.

Santa Baby!

Raleigh loves Christmas!

Tennyson trying to decide which cookie to eat from the giant box.

Aunt Lynley had the magic touch and got Raleigh to sleep. (Christmas Eve 2009)

Brothers

(Taken 1.6.10 Tennyson 2, Raleigh 5 months)

I have to say it has blown my mind how good Tennyson has been about this whole becoming a big brother business. As his mother I can honestly say I wasn't so sure about it, since Tennyson was pretty much our whole world, how he would react having to share the attention. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to have siblings. It's healthier. But still I was worried about how he would treat little new little bundle that would require a lot of his mommy and daddy' s time.

What a blessing that I worried all for nothing! Tennyson has never, not once shown his brother anything but love and acceptance. They simply adore each other! Tennyson still calls him "Baby Rahree" and sometimes tells me, "He's a baby, Mommy. He's a baby." Just in case I forgot. Haha! Tennyson often says, "I want to talk to Baby Brudder." *sigh* It's so precious to see them interact.

I know there will be days ahead where they bicker, fight over toys, and maybe even the car someday, but right now I am LOVING spending my days with these two little boys that have completely and utterly stolen my heart.

Tennyson studying Baby Raleigh.

I think the look on Tennyson's face says it all.
He's so proud to be the big brother!

Showing Raleigh his trains.

AMAZING Photos of Our Boys

My dear friend, Lisa, came and took photos of our boys on July 30th, Tennyson's 2nd birthday, and when Raleigh was 10-days old. As usual she did an absolutely wonderful job! We can't wait to see all of them!