Catch Up, Crawling, and Critters

We are doing well and adjusting to our new home. I'm going to do a quick run down of what's happening with the family.

Tyler: Tyler is going through all of the fun and frustration of taking over a band program. Learning new names, cleaning and organizing, and basically going in all directions at the same time. He is super pumped about starting summer band on Monday, just a little frazzled.

Kelly: I just got back from vacation. Yes, Tyler went with me, but he wasn't really on vacation. Tyler has TBA in San Antonio every July, and he goes and learns all sorts of good things about band directing. I got to go with him this year, and the boys stayed at our house with my mom. This was the first time (not counting staying in the hospital with Parker) that I had been away from Keynan for more than a day, let alone Parker. So, it was a nice break, and my mom got some good Grammy time. I lounged by the pool, read books, took naps, shopped, and drank coffee by the River Walk. We ate at my favorite dining places in San Antonio (Shiloh's, Casa Rio, Fuddrucker's, and Michellini's). We also hung out with some Harding friends. We had a great time.

Parker: Before we left, Parker was showing those early warning signs of crawling. The hardwood floors at our old house were holding him back. Once we got to our new house with new carpet, he was rocking back and forth and rolling and almost scooting. When we arrived home, Parker was army crawling. Mostly, he tries to catch Keynan or eat paper and electric cords. Parker is also sitting up really well and taking a bath without his hammock. He is also eating sweet potatoes. I will probably start him on squash this weekend. Our favorite thing about Parker is his laugh. He's not an easy laugh like Keynan. You have to work to get Parker going. He grins and chuckles all the time, but he only belly laughs on occasion - usually dealing with water. Tonight he was laughing at Keynan in the bath tub. Keynan was spitting. Hilarious, right?

Keynan: Our big boy turns two in seven days. I can't believe it. We are planning on going to the Children's Museum in Houston to celebrate. He has a new obsession with Nemo and Veggie Tales that is beyond healthy. He's been watching more television lately because we haven't had the play room set up. I did that today, so now the boys can get reacquainted with their toys. Keynan found the drumsticks and drum pad today. He kept getting frustrated at Parker though because he was trying to play with the drum, too. He is saying new things all the time. Truly a big boy, he threw away his pacifier once we arrived at the new house (it "broke"). He also comes in to the living room, says, "Stinky," walks to his room, and has a diaper and wipe on the changing table ready for me. He is still playing around with the potty training thing, but life has been so crazy that I haven't had time to focus on it. He is also building a close relationship with the corner and visits there frequently. In fact, one day out of the blue, he ran into the kitchen, pointed at me and repeatedly said, "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Then, he ran and put himself in the corner. Guilty conscience, I guess.

House: We are making progress on the house. I have the kitchen, living room, dining room, main bathroom, and now playroom set. We just need to hang pictures and curtains and such. However, tonight as I was talking to Tyler on the phone, I noticed that we had a friend in the kitchen. Yes, we've lived in enough rent houses to have a mouse or two, but they still FREAK me out. Our exterminator was coming early next week anyway to kill off potential critters, but Tyler gets to go mouse hunting this weekend. I am so glad I am the girl some days. However, I will have to clean out the entire kitchen again. This is why I am blogging tonight instead of cleaning the kitchen. I want the friend evicted first. I had already scrubbed all of the cabinets with bleach before unpacking all of the kitchen. That should be fun to do again. Ooh, but we are getting a new dishwasher installed next week, too. That should make the sterilization process go more quickly. Despite the fact that we are closing up shop on the Rodent Ramada, we actually love our new house. It's old, but it has new carpet and tile, and it has plenty of room for the boys to run. We are feeling very excited and blessed.

*Please forgive my horrible fluctuations from past to present tense with no transitions whatsoever. But, I'm sleepy and a little jumpy.