Summer is so busy and crazy... I feel like a million things have been going on!
I'm trying to lose about 30 pounds and get to a weight lower than my weight before I got pregnant with Bentley. So I've been counting calories and doing P90X during the boys' naptime... Man am I sore! Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up, although I've been known to "skip a day" which leads to not doing it anymore..... :l So fingers crossed I can stay motivated!
Bentley is now THREE. WHAT?! I can't believe my baby boy is three years old. He's seriously growing up too fast. I can't believe that in two or three years, he'll be in kindergarten! He is the cutest, most tenderhearted kid... I love this age/stage. I love the cute talking and sayings. So adorable. Levi and I decided last night that he's for sure going to be going to preschool this year. There's a really great preschool nearby that I've heard great things about, so I'm pretty sure that we're going to be going there. It'll probably be a half day (I think it's something like 9am-1pm) three days a week. He's nearly potty trained now, so hopefully he'll be 100% potty trained by the time August comes around. He wears pull ups during naps and during the night, and he's usually good about staying dry during naps but we still have a problem with accidents, so hopefully that'll be all cleared up by the time preschool starts! We've also talked about holding him back a year for Kindergarten. Even though I can't really say if he's ready yet since it's not close enough to tell, I just don't want him to be the youngest in his grade, especially since he's a boy. We'll probably end up having him go to kindergarten twice or holding him back a year to start kindergarten, since boys development tends to be slower I really don't want him to be months and months younger than everyone else in his class. Argh, summer birthdays are so difficult!
Rafe is 19 months! He's learning things really quickly, probably because he has a big brother to teach him, haha. But ohhh, what Bentley lacked in the terrible twos tantrums, Rafe is making up for! He's already starting his terrible twos and oh are they terrible. He just has tantrum after tantrum, and it really sucks when Levi's not here to help me out, especially since I have Milo to worry about. He's also kind of having issues with going to bed. He just doesn't want to go to bed anymore, and he's protesting naps which makes him cranky. Ughhh, it's s struggle right now! I'm trying to figure out what works discipline wise, especally since Bentley didn't really need much discipline at that age. My mom told me about this thing called "love and logic" which has really helped. The best way I can explain it is when they want to do something bad, you kind of say "We're not supposed to do this, let's do this instead." Or like, with Bentley who's a little older, you say "I can carry you to bed or you can walk to bed, which would you like to do?" I'm a bad explainer and I just started trying to do this, but so far it's been amazing. But anyway. He runs around everywhere, loves to go outside, likes to be involved and help people do things, and he tries to climb on EVERYTHING! I have to keep an eye on him 24/7.
Milo is 3 months today! I can't believe how big he's gotten and that it's only been 3 months since he was born! He is the cutest, happiest baby, and his laugh just melts me! He can roll over now and he babbles&coos constantly. Oh, how I love baby babble! It's adorable, because Bentley and Rafe LOVE to make him laugh. It's so precious!
Everything else is going pretty well! Levi is still looking for a better job, I'm still looking into a new car. I'm also fixing to be an aunt x2! My sister is expecting her fourth, she's due March 15! And Levi's younger sister Hailey just got engaged! They're planing their wedding for probably next summer, maybe spring. I'm so excited for her and her fiance!
July seems to be birthday mania... Bentley turned 3 on the 5th, my little sister just turned 15 on July 16th, my older sister is turning 29 on the 25th, and my mom is turning the big 5-0 on the 29th. Man, is July crazy! July and December are crazy birthday months for my family! My brother, niece and dad all have birthdays in December.
Lastly, my heart just completely goes out to the victims, responders and the families and friends of all those involved in the Colorado shooting, including the parents of the shooter. I cannot imagine what they're going through, and it completely breaks my heart that that happened. Movies are something I absolutely love, and in the words of the director of The Dark Knight Rises, "I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is just devestating to me." That's exactly how I feel. And in the aftermath, I think this statement by Jarell Brooks, a survivor and hero of the shooting, is a great example for all of us - "I feel like forgiveness is more bold than hate, revenge, or redemption."
Lots of prayers for those still fighting for their lives, those who are trying to get over witnessing this tragedy, those mourning the loss of loved ones. In memory of all those who lost their lives;
Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6 years old.
Gordon Cowden, 51
Matthew McQuinn
Alex Sullivan, 27
Micayla Medek, 23
John Larimer, 27
Sgt. Jesse Childress, 29
Jessica Ghawi, 24
A.J. Boik, 18
Jonathan Blunk
Rebecca Wingo
Alexander Teves
Rest easy, friends.
