18 months and 3 years

I realized it had been awhile since I've last updated the blog.  Matthew is growing so fast!  His vocabulary is also growing.  He asks "Where's Day (Dane), Where's ba-ba (Grandma/grandpa)".  Lily is potty training, which is going well.  Lily will announce that she has to go potty and before she can say the word potty, I see the back of MJ running to the bathroom to sit on the little potty.  Of course, Lily is so dramatic and she immediately cries because MJ is on her potty.  Matthew is obsessed with shoes.  I bought him new shoes to where this summer, especially for the beach.  When I brought them home, he brought them to me to put on him.  I had to take off the shoes he was wearing to wear the new shoes. MJ is also learning to say "Ok" when Kyle or I tell him to do something.  Instead of ok, he says otay.  He usually says otay about three times, each time gradually getting louder, with the third otay at a full scream.  Up to today, I have caught him twice playing in the toilet, too.  It's so disgusting.  The first time, he did it out of spite, looking at me and smiling the entire time I was telling him no.  The second time, the toilet was running after not being flushed correctly, so he was all in the toilet playing in the "fountain" that was coming down from the inside of the toilet.  Sometimes, I'll sing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song.  Unfortunately, MJ does not approve.  He sticks his little finger in the air, waves it back and forth, purses his lips, lowers his eyebrows while saying, "no, no, no, no".  He is the cutest blonde headed little boy!  He's 18 months and growing.
Just a few days ago, I had Lily's pictures taken by my good friend, James Stirk.  We went to the boyscout spot off of the Lloyd.  She did such a wonderful job, doing everything we requested.  The pictures are amazning.  Lily and MJ have been going to VBS at Northwoods this week.  MJ got in their water-time pool, shoes and all.  Lily has come home saying, "Ms. Trina said, 'God can do anything and Jesus is everywhere'".  I love that she's so young and learning about God.  Tonight, she came out of her bedroom after being "asleep" for about a half an hour, so I decided to let her sit outside in my hammock with me.  She brought out her "noculars", which she made to look at animals while at VBS today.  It was the most precious time with her.  She'd use her noculars to look for stars and planes in the sky. 
We are planning a family vacation to Disney World at the end of July.  Dane has everything set upt for us and mom and dad.  We have been talking about it a lot, so MJ knows "be-be", Mickey.  I hear Lily almost every morning tell MJ "no whining in Disney" as they play in their bedroom as Kyle and I try to get just a couple more minutes of sleep.  The kids are getting up between 6 and 6:30 every morning. 

Disney on Ice

Uncle Gary was given two free tickets to have  luncheon with Minnie and Mickey.  Only 50 firefighters and 50 police officers were given the tickets.  We thought Lily was too young and wouldn't do well going with Gary by herself.  Luckily, Gary forgot to cancel the tickets.  He decided to try to take Lily.  We knew this about two weeks before the actually lunch.  I was so excited that I told Lily that day.  We talked about it a lot.  That evening, when we went to Grandma and Grandpa Shoptaugh's house, as we turned from the Lloyd onto St. Joe, Lily started crying.  She said, "No Mommy, not Grandma Pookie's, Uncle Gary's".  Kyle and I had to explain that she couldn't see Minnie and Mickey just yet.  I didn't talk anymore about it, for that reason.  Yesterday was the big day.  I got Lily's dress, shoes, turtle neck, tights and crown together so Kyle could take it to Mother's Day out, which is where Gary was going to pick up Lily.  Aunt Sally helped Lily get ready for the lunch.  Uncle Gary said Lily had so much fun and ate a lot!  He said the Mayor asked all the 3 year olds to raise their hands, then all the four year olds, etc.  Gary said Lily was the youngest one there, but no one asked how old she was.  The mayor also asked about the years of service.  Uncle Gary was the most senior firefighter at the luncheon.  Apparently, Lily was talking to some of the ladies that worked with Disney and asked them "Where's Donald?  Where's Goofy?"  Gary informed me the ladies told him they wished Lily could have been their spokesperson!  Lily had so much fun at lunch.  She even had her picture taken with Uncle Gary, Minnie and Mickey, with her new gold Mickey ears. 

Last night, all four of us attended Disney on Ice at the Ford Center.  I do believe I was excited more than anyone else in the family.  Lily was so adorable in her Princess Cinderlla dress.  She was so excited, that she wore it while napping the day before.  Lily really did enjoy the show; however, at intermission Lily's eyes were watering so bad because of lack of sleep and blinking.  I wiped her eye.  She stared into space and said, "Mommy, I'm finished".  She decided she wanted to stay.  Matthew sat almost the entire show.  He squirmed a little, only because he was fighting going to sleep.  He eventually feel asleep on my lap.  At the end of the show, all the characters came out for one last routine.  The ushers allowed the children to go all the way down to the front row. Kyle quickly realized what was going on and took Lily. 

Frogs and Princesses

I'm so happy to be writing, telling you that MJ has a small vocabulary.  He says "Oh yeah, More, Momma, Dadda, Ball, Thank you".  He tries to say Cooper, but it's just a two syllable noise. lol  His personality is just budding!  He loves to climb, climb, climb.  He has all sorts of bumps and bruises.  I can't believe just by nature how "boy" he behaves.  Last Tuesday, he fell and hit his head on the corner of the rocking chair while he was at Mother's Day Out.  I felt like such a bad mom for not noticing it until I read the incident report.  It was then I looked at his forehead.  Sure enough, there was a knot and a bruise.  On the incident report marked "how waas it taken care of", they wrote "hugs and love".
Lily is so excited.  She gets to go with Uncle Gary to eat with the Disney characters when they come into town in a little over a week.  Friday night, we were going to my mom and dad's house.  As soon as we turned off of the Lloyd onto St. Joe Ave., Lily cried, "No Mommy, I don't want to go to Grandma Pookie's, I want Uncle Gary."  That night, I bought her a Cinderella dress.  She immediately put it on and twirled around, just like a princess.  We let her wear it to church on Sunday.  She ran down the stairs into the foyer.  No one noticed her, so she stood there staring waiting for someone to say something.  We had to refer to her as Princess Lily.  I can't wait to hear all about her lunch with Gary and the Disney characters!