James' Pre-K Graduation

James graduated from pre-K today!!!  James has been so excited about his performance tonight and about graduating from pre-K!  And so excited about starting kindergarten next year!  In talking to his teacher, Ms. Gretchen, after the ceremony she told me that they needed someone to say the prayer at the last minute tonight to start the ceremony.  As she thought about who would be willing to do it last minute... James came to mind!  He did a wonderful job!  (This reminds me of last night when we visited his new kindergarten classroom during open house... James very confidently walked up to the kindergarten teachers on his own and introduced himself beautifully!)  I am so proud of the wonderful, confident, compassionate, thoughtful, outgoing, adventurous, inquisitive young man that James is becoming.  I am such a proud Mommy!

Here are a few darling pictures from his presentation tonight...

I was lucky enough to catch this very sweet moment between James' teacher, Ms. Gretchen, and James as she walked in.  I later found out that James was telling Ms. Gretchen that she looked like an angel tonight, other than the necklace she was wearing!  

One VERY excited boy to be graduating!!!  

So proud!  And a VERY proud Mommy and Daddy too!  

James and his teacher, Ms. Gretchen.   

Jonathan and Mommy watching James' graduation ceremony.  Jonathan is so darn handsome and getting so big!!!  (I really wanted to get a family picture tonight also because everyone was looking so nice but it just didn't happen unfortunately.  Like I often say... Corralling 3 little boys is like herding cats!  Just not going to happen!)

Can we be mans?

Too cute tonight... We were at the park playing before dinner and Jack comes up to me, "Mommy, can we take our shirts off so we can be mans?"  I love how kiddos think!

My Little Stair Steppers

Are these not the cutest boys ever???  Absolutely LOVE these pictures!!!

Oh my goodness!!  How much personality is in this picture!?!?!?

My love bugs!!!

So much fun with Reesha!

We have an amazing nanny, Reesha, who is wonderful with the boys!!!  I love getting pictures of the boys having a great time while I am at work.  Here are a few from a day at the Folsom Zoo... 

Peek-a-boo!  I see you!  

My little bear! 

Look how tall!!! 

My 3 little cuties!!!

What a little doll!  

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful nanny who does such great things with the boys!  

(October 2014)

All Boy Day!!!

Last Tuesday we had an awesome "boy day"!  It all started with a trip to the train museum with our friend "3 year old Ben" a.k.a. the sweet little boy down the street.  His Mommy (Melissa) and little sister (Emma) joined us also.  (Grandma Whichard: Please only enjoy the beginning of this post.  I'll tell you where to stop toward the end.)

Little boys + toy trains = HEAVEN!!! 

At the train museum, we learned that it was the last day for train rides along the river... so naturally we had to go!  

The boys enjoying the view of the river, tractors, and horses from the train!  After the train ride, it was picnic time followed by a little trip to the candy store!  No surprise that the 4 littlest ones fell sound asleep on the ride home!!!  

After nap time, James and Jonathan went outside to play.  I step outside to find James pulling the water hose all the way across the yard and Jonathan following behind with 2 buckets in hand.  The conversation goes a little like this...

Mommy: "What are you two doing out here?"

James: "We are making mud!"

Mommy: "Why are you making mud?"

James: "Because my mud truck needs mud to play in!"

Mommy: "Well, that sounds like as good of a reason as any... enjoy!"

And so, James and Jonathan enjoyed playing in the mud!!! 

A few minutes later, and covered in mud, Jonathan decided that he wanted to go inside...  NO WAY BUDDY!  Welcome to the Jonathan pout!  Jonathan has the most adorable pout ever by putting his head down on the ground and whining.  (I must say, at least he has learned the value of doing it softly!)  

Here is my messy, muddy, and VERY happy little man!  

When "mud time" was over, the boys were welcomed into the house from the laundry room back door to deposit their clothes directly into the washing machine and head straight to the shower!  (I now understand the importance of an outdoor shower!) After getting cleaned up, this was as dressed as I was able to get Jonathan... surprise, surprise!  

(Grandma Whichard: Time for you to stop...)

Once James and Jonathan were cleaned up from the mud mess and dressed in clean clothes, I hear "Let's go look in the dirt for bugs to feed the snake!"  Really?!?!?!?  Really!?!?!?!?  Thankfully Daddy gets home at this point to help find bugs while I make dinner.  I have everything out on the counter for tacos to turn around and see the snake container sitting right in the middle of everything.  Gotta love boys!!!  

Jonathan Update

Quick Jonathan update... Other than being cute beyond compare... Jonathan is growing like crazy!!!!  My little 6% man acquired 6 teeth (the 7th just appeared) and there was no looking back!  Jonathan will be 17 months on Friday so, naturally, he had his 15 month check-up at the pediatrician's today.  My little peanut weighed 24 lbs (56th percentile) and 31.5 inches long (35th percentile)... 6% no more!!!  And he was a super trooper with one shot and very little fussing about it!
Jonathan knows exactly what is going on and not afraid to show it!  Tonight as I was calling James and Jack to dinner, Jonathan marched right out to the garage behind me calling his brothers in!  Jonathan's favorite new word is "Ack, Ack!"  (That would be in reference to his big brother otherwise known as Jack!)  And anytime I am calling Jack, Jonathan is right there by my side, "Ack, Ack!"  Jonathan is adding more words every day... please, yes, no, more, Ack, Ame, MOM, Dad, shoes, sock, hat... I know there are a ton more but I can't think anymore tonight.
Jonathan LOVES going outside in the backyard!  He and James would live out there if I let them!  Jonathan knows that we have to put shoes and a hat on before we go outside... so he will march his little self over to the hall closet to get himself shoes and a hat before asking to go out.  The other day when we got home from TaeKwonDo, he walked directly over to the hall closet, took his shoes off, and put them away in his bucket in the closet before going to play.  If only I could teach his bigger brothers (and Daddy!) to do the same!  :-)
So many more wonderful things to write about my littlest man but I really must get a few chores done!  I just uploaded pictures since January to the computer so I will try to update the blog with some pictures and cute stories soon!  Love to all!

I called you a butt head!

Okay, this isn't one of my prouder Mommy moments but it was absolutely hilarious!!!  Jack did something naughty (because he's almost 3 and that's what he's been doing) and I gave him a consequence for his action.  He was obviously less than pleased with the negative consequence and he called me a butt head.  I said, "Excuse me, what did you say?"  Jack then proceeded to walk over to me and very innocently tap me on the nose as he said, "I called you a butt head."  It was absolutely hilarious and so hard to keep a straight face as I put him in timeout.  Even when he makes bad choices, he is so cute!!!