womb warfare

If you know me, you know that my two boys, ages three and six, are the types that typically express their "brotherly love" through teasing, taunting, or outright violence...and you'll definitely understand why this converation with my three year old had me laughing all day!

Beck: Mom, have I ever been on an airplane?

Mom: No you haven't.

Beck: I think I went on one before I was born.

Mom: Before you were born you were in Mommy's tummy.

Beck: I was?

Mom: Yes, you and Gage both came out of Mommy's tummy.

Beck: Me and Gage were both in your tummy?

Mom: Yes.

Beck: Did we fight in there??

first tri

Swim. Bike. Run.

Sounds like the typical agenda for a 6 year old's summer day, right? But around our house, it has a whole other meaning... a triathlon! And our 6 year old decided to participate in his first "tri" this summer.

Now you might think that it was having a Daddy who has completed numerous triathlons that would inspire a little boy to compete...but Gage never really showed much interest until he found out that his best neighborhood buddies, a family with 4 boys, were all doing it. And by the time he mentioned the race to us, it was only a week away.

So, with just a couple of "triathlon training sessions" under his belt, he competed in his first official triathlon as Racer #10 in the 5-6 year old division of the Hill Country Kids & Family Tri. (Ironically, Daddy was unable to compete in the adult portion of Gage's first race due to his broken wrist...)

Little brother Beck was there to cheer on his big brother, and didn't even complain about the 5:30 a.m. start!

Gage got a running start on the swim, and swam the 25 meters in just 1 minute!

After a rocky first transition (you try getting socks and tennis shoes on wet feet!), he made up lots of time with a super speedy 1 mile bike ride.

Despite the heat and a long 1/2 mile run, he came home strong... and finished SECOND in his division with a total time of 14:19!

Gage and his best friend Case celebrated their accomplishment at the finish line.

He even got a trophy!!

Not bad for his first tri.

good night

You know how some siblings just seem so incredibly close? How they seem to have a bond unlike any other? How they are each other's best friend, play mate, confidante, and defender?

Well, our boys are nothing like that. They literally cannot be in a room together without someone ending up in tears (usually one of them, and sometimes me too!). They will argue about any topic, fight over any toy, and use moves on each other that would put an MMA fighter to shame. Most days I feel more like a referee than a parent.

So you can imagine my surprise when, one evening this week...

They cuddled together on the couch while watching TV...

Gage read Beck his favorite book...

and Beck asked for Gage to tuck him into bed!!

It was a good night.

sweet heart

Ever since he was little, Gage has been partial to playing with little girls, especially older ones. So when ten year old Jordan moved in down the street last summer, I wasn't surprised when Gage instantly befriended her. Of course I worried that Jordan might lose interest in spending time with Gage once she made more friends in the neighborhood, but luckily that hasn't been the case, and they continue to play together almost every day.

Recently, another little boy in the neighborhood started teasing Gage about his relationship with Jordan, and I worried that it might discourage Gage from spending time with her...until I saw this special Valentine that he made for Jordan.

What a sweet heart.

the sniff test

In the "if I hadn't heard it with my own two ears I wouldn't believe it" category...

As we were getting ready to go out to dinner last night, I overheard the following conversation between Scott and Beck.

Scott: Beck, did you wash your hands?

Beck: Yes.

Scott: Did you use soap?

Beck: Yes.

Scott: Let me smell your hands to make sure. **Smells hands** Okay, your hands are clean.

Scott: Did you go potty, too?

Beck: Yes.

Scott: Are you sure?

Beck: Yes! Do you want to smell my pee pee??!!

Gotta love little boys.

snow day

They don't happen very often in Austin, Texas...maybe once every two or three years if we're lucky...so when they do they're pretty darn special!

This year, it happened on Friday, February 4. There wasn't enough to make a decent snowman, but there was enough to cover just about everything and plenty to play in. And this year was extra special since it was our first official "school snow day"...no Kindergarten for Gage!

Beck was so excited to get out in the snow...

until his gloves got wet and his hands got cold.

Snowboard sled ride!

water torture

If you ask me, nothing beats a long, hot shower. I've never been a bath person, but I can give a hot water heater a run for its money in the shower! In fact, it's one of the little luxuries I miss since having kids...somehow the shower is less relaxing when there's a little boy banging on the shower door with a Matchbox car and demanding that you get out, most likely to get him something he's perfectly capable of getting himself.

So not only are my own showers less enjoyable now, but the issue of personal hygiene is a constant battle in our household. Mention the words "bath" or "shower" to one of my boys, and you're very likely to be met with arguments, excuses, and/or tears. Ask them to wash their hands, and you'd swear you just handed out the worst punishment known to mankind. And just to add insult to injury, once you get them in the bath or shower, a whole new battle awaits...getting them out!

If I had a dollar for every minute I've spent arguing with my children about matters of hygiene, I'd have quite a bundle saved up. And I'm pretty sure I'd spend it on a large, soundproof shower where I could bathe in peace!