Cousin/Sister Night, 4/2/11

Last weekend, my fabulous cousin, Teresa, kept my kids Saturday all night so I could take a night away to Branson with my sisters and cousins. I had an absolute blast! It was quite the road trip. I picked up Chelsi and Kyla in Marshfield, Mariah at her house, then we went to Hartville to get Heather. Then we were off! We made decent time, only a couple of bathroom breaks on the way (Mariah!)...

The first picture is of my sister, Mariah and myself.

The next one is my sister, Chelsi and cousin, Sharyn.

We went to a coffee shop near Jodee's house to see a jazz band play. It was fun, but we got a little giggly and loud for the jazz scene, so we headed back to the house for some karaoke and guitar playing and singing (...and maybe some booty shaking by courtesy of Jodee and myself). It was SO MUCH FUN! I don't get away from Clint and the kids that often, so every couple of months I need a night off.

This is Jodee and Kyla, then Heather and Mariah.

I hope the rest of the girls had as much fun as I did, It was wonderful to hang with an awesome group of ladies.

Sunday morning we went to the 9:00 service at Jodee's church. She is usually singing in the choir with my Aunt and Uncle, but being the fantastic hostess that she is, she sat by us.

We (minus Jodee) had some lunch at Wendy's after church (and a hilarious communion incident, you know who you are...) and then began the journey home.

I was so excited to pick up my little monsters. Speaking of, here is a shot of Laica from earlier today. We were over at Harold and Becky's (Clint's dad and stepmom) and she was playing on the deck. There is a gate at the stairs, making their deck the best (and biggest) playpen I have ever seen. :)

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, looks like the weather will be nice and HOT! Caden starts soccer this week, we are all very much looking forward to it!

Brooke

We've been busy!

Here is Mr. Caden Harold after his bath this evening. His Mimi (my Stepmom, Patty) gave him a hair cut today and he looks so handsome! Haircuts are frequent and usually a not so pleasant experience. He usually cries the whole time and I have to physically hold him and his head still. Today, on the way to the salon, Caden and I had a little chat. I told him that If he was very good, did not cry, and sat still while Mimi was cutting his hair, I would let him get a toy barn and animals at the store. (Somehow out of the millions of toys these kids have, a barn and the corresponding animals are not in the inventory). The funny thing is, we ended up with the backpack from Dora. It sings comes with the map and accessories. Caden and Laica both love Dora, therefore this toy should be worth the $20 (I hope so, anyway. We don't usually buy toys that often. They accumulate quickly and seem to multiply.)

He did a fantastic job. Zero tears. Zero resistance. Patty and I were both amazed and so proud of him. He is so very smart. Knows his letters and the sound they make, numbers, can count forward, backward, and in spanish. He also has had his shapes and colors down for some time now. I am constantly amazed at how well he remembers things and how quickly he learns something new. He plays very well with Laica (most of the time) and is just turning into such a big boy so quickly. In the second photo, he is howling.

Here he is still howling, with our biggest baby, Kenzie, in the background. She is the pitbull that Clint had when I met him. She got a bath tonight too, (much needed) but I think the photo was taken before that.

Ahhh... and we certainly cannot leave out little miss "Teeka". Laica will be called this by many people for years to come, probably until she tells us to stop. :) She, too, is growing right before my eyes. I swear that she changes a little every day. She is a climber and a little smarty-pants. She always wants to keep up with her big brother and makes sure that we are paying attention to her, too. She is very talkative and even putting two words together. The other morning in the car she was singing. I could tell that it was the alphabet song, even though she wasn't pronouncing the letters correctly. I love, love, love that my children are showing so much potential at an early age. They both love to read. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes and I think of it as exercise for my brain. When reading, one encounters so many words that are not used in everyday conversation. It enhances vocabulary. I mostly read comical fiction novels, reading is an escape of mine.

We have had a busy week so far. We got Caden signed up for soccer, and Clint is going to coach his team! I have a feeling I will be helping out with this a lot, but I am looking forward to it! Clint is very athletic, and Caden is showing potential that he will be, too.

Today I got Caden's hair cut, went to the grocery store, made dinner, cleaned up, did laundry and the only dirty clothes in the house is what each of us is wearing!!! Had a super-productive day, and I am glad for that.

I am looking forward to Saturday, I get to escape to Branson for a night to spend some much needed girlie time with my sisters and cousins. So freaking excited. Well, after I finish this mug of warm green citrus tea, I will be off to bed (clean sheets and blankets--yay!). Until next time...

Brooke

I'm baaaaccckkk!

I fixed our computer! Don't ask me how I did it, but I did it! Whoo-hoo! Have to upload all of my pictures again and downloading antivirus software as I type this. This makes my week. I have felt super disconnected. I will return soon.

Brooke

Ahoy!

We are all alive and kicking, but sadly, our computer is not. Hoping to take it somewhere this week. Anyone else ever feel like that to-do list never ends?! I will get some new photos up soon.

Brooke

Random thoughts on a Thursday...

This is Ms. Magnolia, aka, Maggie. Caden's best bud. We love having sleep overs and they have spent a ton of time together. Caden is just a couple of moths older than her. The painting in the background was done by Clint's step-grandma, Annette Osbern. She is such a talented artist!

Miss Laica and myself, back in August. She is growing soooo quickly!

Self-shot with the glasses on.

Love my little Stink....(for some reason this nickname stuck for Caden.. Ha!)

Hot blog, hot blog, hot bliggity blog... any moms singing with me? :) Until next time...

Brooke

blah, blah, blog...

Caden being a little stinker, like always. We have loved playing outside recently. It is great for them (and myself) to get a little exercise and sunshine. We have been busy the past couple of weeks, with cleaning and doctors appointments.

Caden will be three in a couple of months. I cannot believe it! Time is really flying right now.


Kenzie, one of our pit bulls. She is such a baby. She always gives me this pouty face and she is inside most of the time. She and Sky (our other pit bull) cause trouble when they get together outside. Today I was letting them play together for a little bit and turned my back for a few minutes. The fence that we paid over 3,000 dollars to have installed around our back yard is useless. Kenzie can climb over the four foot chain link, and Sky is a midget dog and can worm herself under it. They busted out and were headed to chase our horse, Samara. Doggie fun time over.

Caden thought that he should put a rock in his mouth because Laica, for whatever reason, thinks it is cool to put rocks in her mouth. ANNOYING.

This was taken a few days ago, my little "teeka" is growing into a big girl... :( She gets smarter and prettier every day. I can't wait to see how her personality develops over the next several months. She is a little spit-fire right now, and going to be way more mischievous than Caden is. We love these little monsters! Forsee them getting into lots of trouble together for a long time to come.

We don't have much out of the ordinary going on right now, just living life! Be back soon...

Brooke

cousins!

The kids and I really enjoy making the trip to Hartville to hang with my sister, Heather and her daughters, Rhylee and Reagan. Last week during the unseasonally warm weather we were able to spend the day together and play outside with the kids. I absolutely cannot wait for spring and warmer temperatures!

They had an awesome time playing in the sandbox.


My sweet Laica Lyn. Please excuse the drool, this is a constant wardrobe issue for her. She changes shirts at least three times per day usually, even when we use bibs.

Miss Rhylee Jane in action! She is getting too big, will be 4 in June!

Reagan and Caden digging in the sand. Reagan looks exactly like Heather did when she was her age...I love it!

There was some serious sand construction going on this particular day. I love that I got to spend a ton of time with my cousins when we were growing up, and will certainly give my kids that same opportunity. I love that my siblings and I can be such good friends.

Brooke

I'm back!

I was driving this morning and a memory of my late Grandma Bennett popped into my head...she would always record herself, my sisters and me singing on cassette tapes. Those are the types of memories that I hope to never lose. Thinking of Grandma led me to remember the things I loved about my Granny, most of all her imagination...all of you cousins know that she never admitted that there was no magic box or Elfie, but I like to believe that both of those magical things exist. I still go down to her property on occasion. I can't wait until it warms up, Caden is definately old enough to learn about Elfie. I saw a picture the other day of caden with my granny but can't seem to locate it now. I wanted to post this rainbow photo I took over the summer in honor of all the lost loved ones that I remembered today: Grandma, Granny, Jessica, and Robert... always missed and loved.

On a brighter note, Sunday was warm and windy and Laica took a long nap; Caden and I took full advantage of that. We walked down our driveway, taking pictures and talking about everything we saw. You can see in this photo that he has his own "camera." It is just a toy "woodybuzz" (Caden speak for Toy Story) one, but he loves it.

Not too sure why I am semi-winking here, but I liked the picture anyway. We got out his little battery-powered four-wheeler and he was loving it. He wanted me to stay right with him at first, but he quickly warmed up to it and was riding all over!





I am so, so, so glad to have my internet back in working order, I will never again lock myself out of everything with parental controls. What was I thinking anyway? Our kids are 1 and almost 3, they don't use the computer unsupervised yet, so I see no problem with waiting to add that. :)

Caden is impressing me with how quickly he is catching onto picking out letters and knowing the sounds they make. He is also a wonderful counter and sometimes I will overhear him counting in spanish (thank you, Diego and Dora). He is sharp as a tack, love him so much!

Miss Laica Lyn is missing from these photos, but I will soon have another post with some pictures of playing with my nieces, Rhylee and Reagan, and she will make an appearance there. I absolutely love to listen to her "read" books, it is ADORABLE! She is passionate about books (gets that from her mommy) and I hope that she always will be. Reading is exercise for the brain, and something that is important to me. Laica is talking so much! We understand a lot of it, it is so fun to watch a baby turn into a toddler again, but these kids are growing way too quickly! I know that everyone feels that way, but it is SO true.

This week is a busy one for us, but have some fun scheduled in addition to cleaning and doctor appointments. Hope everyone has a great week!

Brooke

"it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."

I took the kids to the park to play today. The temp was well into the sixties, and other than a little mud, the afternoon was perfect. Caden and Laica had a blast! Laica loves wandering all over the playground. Caden was sliding constantly! He was scared to go by himself at first, it didn't take too long for him to warm up and let loose.

We made some friends while we were there. This is Emma with Caden at the slide.

Taking a brief break for the camera while yelling into this pipe contraption. He spent a lot of time doing this.

Ms. Laica Lyn after sliding. That child has no fear. I have wo watch her like a hawk if she is up high on the playground equipment. She loves to slide by herself and is an integral part of the Caden, Laica, Mommy Express.

I spent some time on the swings. Always has been, always will be my favorite playground actvity. Swinging makes me feel like I am 5 years old again. Nothing else is going on except that very moment. I hope I am able to swing when I am 75. Maybe I will have a porch swing by then... I will definitly have a set of rocking chairs on the front porch, worn in and inviting anyone to sit and enjoy the next sunset.

Well, probably time to wrangle the muddy monsters into the bathtub. Laica took a short nap and Caden has not had one, so I am hoping for an early bedtime for the both of them. Maybe, just maybe, I can spend some quiet time with Clint this evening.

Brooke

music makes the world go 'round...

Brotherly love...

Laica always pulls her pigtails out. Drives me CRAZY! She got her bangs and mullet trimmed a few days ago. The Dishman family HAS to get regular haircuts. We all have thick hair (Laica doesn't yet, but hers grows super fast).

Picture from August 2010, dancing in the rain. He has changed so so so much since then! It is wild.

Mommy and Caden, back in August.

I absolutely love, love, love http://www.pandora.com/ It is freaking ah-mazing!! If you have not experienced the awesomeness, I urge you to try it out. You are welcome. Almost every morning, the kids have a few shows that they like to watch (as do I, The View rocks my ten o'clock hour). Sidenote: I love Joy. I love to hate Elisabeth. The View has caused me to like Whoopie much more than I used to. Barbara is sometimes awkwardly funny but mostly grumpy and bossy. While I am on the topic, did you see the ladies of the View on Oprah? TALK SHOW HEAVEN. Ok, that is a suffcient amount of time spent on the View to be embarrassed--almost. Don't even get me started on Ellen. Love, love, love...

Back to the music: My kids love to sing and dance. My mom and sisters are musically talented. Singing and playing instruments. I like to sing. I don't think it sounds good. I used to be able to beat a hand drum fairly well, but I am about 5 years out of practice in that department. My sister, Chelsi, could make it big if she got the right opportunity. She is that good. Deep and soulful.

I love singing and dancing with Caden and Laica because they just think it is awesome, I don't have any reason hold back and they are too little to be self-concious (I will do my best to keep them that way as long as I can). Laica has recently been spinning circles, singing "ashes, ashes..." She gets so dizzy, it is hilarious.

spring is in the air (I can just feel it)!!!

We took advantage of the nice weather today and played outside for awhile this afternoon. Caden and Laica LOVED it, and all three of us need a good dose of vitamin D from the sunshine. Here is Caden, picking out "cool rocks for Dada." He looks up to Clint so much, I love being a close spectator of their relationship and how it is blossoming as Caden grows. Amazing and beautiful. Of course Laica was looking for rocks, too. She had her own tiny bucket. She played with us for a little while, but is very independent, she likes to go off on her own. Sometimes if I come near her just trying to play (when we are outside) she takes off running away from me. I love it. She can be independent. I have always marched to the beat of my own drummer, and certainly encourage my children to do so also.

They love each other so much, it is so fun to watch them play. I had siblings close in age and while life sometimes got hectic, I would not change a thing. We were each others allies, and we remain close. I consider my sisters my close friends, and know that I am blessed to be able to do that.

Caden is so smart, and learning new things every day! Two of his best friends are Diego and Dora. :) He knows his letters and the sound that they make and is doing great counting in english and spanish. He can pick out and name some of the numbers, almost all of the letters. Sorry, I have to brag a bit.

Laica is speaking so well and understands a lot of what I am saying to her. She is showing signs that she may be ready to start potty training, we will start tomorrow. Hopefully she catches on quickly and we can be done buying diapers! On a similar note, Caden has never had an accident at night or naptime. So proud of my monsters.

Isn't he getting so big?! He is like, not even a toddler anymore. A little boy. My little boy. Ah, I am loving life right now. This weather will be amazing this week, we are anxious to play outside a lot! Hope you all enjoy it as well!

Brooke

Just a quick laugh...

This morning, Caden was debating between cheese and applesauce (don't judge me--I need this kid to eat something for breakfast). He went back and forth a few times, but ultimately decided on the cheese. Mr. Caden (ruler of the roost) demanded "No, other cheese," when he saw it was shredded, rather than sliced.

I tell him, "We don't have the other cheese, this is it. Do you want some or would you like applsauce instead?" To which he replies, "'Stead." Made me smile, I love my little guy (and girl!! Laica had already eaten, as she makes a mad dash for her high chair as soon as her feet hit the floor).

Good start to the day... just hope Clint feels better soon!

Brooke

Sick Day

Uh oh, time to go inside...

Loving the rare warm day in December. We heart playing outside.

Best buds for life... Aren't they so precious?

Cannot believe that Monday is nearing end. Clint stayed home sick today. He has a Dr. appointment tomorrow, we are really hoping that is isn't strep throat! He was able to watch the kiddies while I did my usual Monday cleaning job. I just love the couple that I clean for, the Dollars. They are awesome people and great company. They treat me very well!

Well, I am on my third attempt at putting Ms. Laica Lyn down for bed. Wish me luck...

Brooke

Loving the sunshine!

We had a warm day near the end of Decemeber, and the kids loved breaking out of the house and running around. We are very ready for Spring in the Dishman household.

Laica had her 15 month check up recently. She is in the 40th percentile for height and weight, 75 percentile for head size. She is very healthy and we are so very grateful for that. She is jabbering all of the time, and saying several words that we understand. She will spin around and sing the "ashes, ashes" line of Ring Around the Rosy. It is so sweet.

Caden is growing to be such a big boy! Clint took him rabbit hunting yesterday, he looked so cute dressed up in his hunting gear. He is doing so good at learing his alphabet and numbers. He is a good counter as well. I have been very impressed with what he has learned recently. If we stay on track, we may have him reading before kindergarten! I can't believe my baby will be three in a few short months. Life is passing by way too quickly.

We also had Parents as Teachers. We absolutely love going to the school for this program. It is wonderful. It is so helpful to know where the children should be at, developmentally. I think that it is very beneficial.

We want to sign Caden up for soccer this spring, I can't wait!