City Garden

Today I took Leah and Evan to the City Garden with some of my friends that I use to work with. We all had a great time on this gorgeous day. Evan, again, was a little afraid of going in the water, but after about 45 min., he decided he wanted his swim trunks on. Thanks for the fun girls!!

Bennett Springs 2010

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Every year, Greg's extended family all meet up in Bennett Springs, MO (right outside of Lebanon) for a week of fishing. This is the kids third time going. The first year, Evan cut his first tooth, last year they stayed in the lodge/house for most of the time, but this year, we actually got them using their rod and reel to catch a fish at the stream. They had a great time feeding the fish at the hatchery, playing on the playground, swimming, and reeling in their empty hooks.

Leah had her first real "going underwater experience." She went under last year due to her foot slipping in the kiddie pool, but this year, her Uncle J.B. took her right under the water with him. To my surprise, she was fine afterwards. Evan did not like the pool and sat off the side. We were lucky to even get his feet wet that first time by the water!

Leah has earned a new nickname by Greg- "River Rat." Uncle J.B. took her down into the river and she LOVED walking around with him and watching Wrangler chase a frisbee. Evan surprised us all by deciding he wanted to wade into the water as well. He did end up getting into the inside pool by the last full day there (only up to his knees, but I was proud).

My "nephew" Wrangler, was a hoot to watch by the pool. He wanted to get in so badly, but doesn't like water where he can't touch. So he would end up running really fast around the pool and then whimper on the edge and reach as far as he could with his mouth to reach a toy. He ended up getting in the pool to chase after his toy, but ended up scratching J.B. pretty bad on his chest.

I am pretty sure that the few fish I caught were bigger than Greg's. All joking aside, I enjoyed my time again. I especially enjoy the time with just Greg and I fishing together in the early morning. I can't wait till Evan and Leah enjoy fishing as much as the rest of the Rau family does. Next year should be a little better and hopefully they will experience a fish on the end of their pole.

Over the Bop-Bops?

Update on Evan, he ended up sleeping today until 10 am! He had a slight fever today and it has been at around 100 now. Hoping tomorrow will be better. Leah just got over this very same thing a couple of days before we left for vacation. Just a fever and nothing else...hmm.?

I think, dare I say it too soon, we are over the bop-bops (pacifiers). It went better than expected. Now, I am not sure how the kids will do at school on Tuesday without them for naps. I am worried because we haven't been in two weeks. One week they cancelled school due to Vacation Bible School being held and then last week, we were on vacation. So, this will be the first time back in two weeks. Keep your fingers crossed. They didn't get a nap in today and tonight, even with the thunderstorms (which are just awful for Leah), they didn't ask for them. I will be happy to not have to carry Bop-Bops around, worry where they are, whether they are clean, etc. Yeah for Evan and Leah!!

Day #3 of NO BOP-BOPS!

This morning, Evan asked for it and was content with not getting one in response. HOwever, I feel so bad because when you are sick, you want something to comfort you. His blanket is all he is getting besides hugs and cuddling, because I am not going to give him his bop-bop again. Poor thing has a fever, but seems somewhat upbeat.
Both did well for night night time as well with not asking but maybe once!

Day #2 of Bop-bops Be GONE!

So, Evan came in our bedroom this morning asking for his Bop-bop. We reminded him that the fish ate it and he went back to sleep with us for awhile. Leah just wanted to continue holding her cut pacifier.
For nap, they both asked again where their pacifiers were. We had to remind them again what had happened. Leah told me, "My bop-bop got eaten by fishy. I throw mine away in trash" and she did. Evan followed Leah to the trash and threw his in there, but later wanted to dig it out of the trash (we were able to distract him and I got it out later).
Night time- they both asked for them again and were sad that they were really GONE and in the trash now, but Leah's tantrum .last night was about believing there were "Boom booms" (which are fireworks and/or thunder) and she didn't want to go to sleep in her room. After about an hour and a half of trying to get her to go to sleep, we got some peace and quiet in the house. (Poor Evan tried three different times to go to sleep during Leah's bouts of tantrums).
At least the screaming, etc. wasn't about not having a pacifier!

So Long, Farewell...

The cutting of the pacifiers

Leah's initial reaction
Evan saying, "Uh-oh. I don't like it!"

"I want a new one!"

"NOOOOOOO!"

So long, farewell to the "bop-bops" (A.K.A.-pacifiers). We wanted to do this back in December, but Leah ended up getting bronchitis when we wanted to take them away. I definitely didn't want to do that when she was sick. So, Greg decided that after our fishing trip, it was time! Thurs. night was our first night for getting rid of them and we thought it would be a good time since we had a long drive home from vacation/fishing and we took them to the park before bedtime to tire them out. They were tired and while we were reading books to them and putting on their jammies, they asked for their "Bop-bops." I went ahead and gave the pacifiers to them and waited for their reactions. I totally thought they would ask to go to the store and buy them a new one. They both said, "Uh-oh", "I don't like it!" and "I want a new one." We told them that the fish ate their pacifiers when we were in Bennett. They bought it. Although, they did ask for the other pacifiers I had had in the cabinet. Luckily I removed them earlier in the day expecting that they would want to see for themselves that they were indeed gone. I told them that those particular pacifiers were given to babies at the hospital so they wouldn't be sad. That also seemed to work. So, after about 20 minutes of crying (luckily not a full-blown temper tantrum as expected), they quieted down and were asleep.

Day #2 coming....

Carnival

The Greg's and their girls

Car game

Leah on the roller coaster
Ducky game
At the beginning of the ride

Becoming more fearful of the ride
OK-GET ME OUT!

Last weekend, Greg and I took the kids to their first Carnival. We went with our friends, Greg and Peyton (Jackie was taking care of those sweet babies at home and keeping them out of the heat-boys was it HOT!)
Peyton and Leah were a little more adventurous with the rides, etc. Evan was a big baby and screamed every time the hydraulics would make noise on one particular ride. Leah rode the roller coaster and the tilt-a-whirl with the Greg's and Peyton. She liked the tilt-a-whirl, didn't care for the roller coaster (neither did I-way to jerky!) and she also started out liking the helicopter ride for kids, but at the end, started crying to get out -see pictures for progression of the ride :)