Growing pains...

This morning when Grant woke up he looked different to me.  My baby is growing again.  His sweet face changed slightly, he was leaner and longer.  It breaks my heart a little.  I still look at the boys and marvel at how they've grown.  How could 4 be so big?  With each passing day, week, month - my boys - all three - learn new things, become more self sufficient and independent.  As a mother it is a wonder to watch.

But with Grant somehow its a little different.  My last baby.  (Did I really just write that?)  I don't want to lose the pudgy legs, the smell of fresh diapers and powder, the pacifiers and the crib.  And I know many of these things are only months away from disappearing.  Ouch.

All I can do is soak it all in and torture him with photo shoots.  I worry that there hasn't been enough of them.  Here he comes now with his little duck in hand, pacifier and full diaper.  :)  He is still my baby today.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know it's been forever since I posted.  I'll be updating everything tonight and tomorrow.  Lots to catch up on!  In the meantime, here is this year's Valentine's photo.  My three rockstars!!  :)  We set this one up pretty quick and luckily daddy was there to make some crazy faces behind me to get Grant to laugh.  I love the way he is holding his hat (which of course he took right off) and Tommy's pose is so classic.  Cole was feeling pretty "cool" in this outfit and his pose shows it.  

Do you all remember the "Love Rocks" photo from 2 years ago?  When I look at it...I marvel that these are the same kiddos.  They seem SO big...but  only 2 years ago they were SO little!  Here it is for old times sake.  :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Snowy day photo shoot....

Cole - age 4

Grant 11 months

Tommy - age 4

Tommy and Cole - age 4

Our day was full of fun in the snow...warming up with a dip in the hot tub...parading around in our macaroni necklaces and photo shoots of course!!  We had so much fun setting up each scene...and the boys acted as my assistants as we attempted to get some still shots of Grant.  Not so easy these days!  Luckily, a game of "roll the apple" kept him still and giggling enough to get this goodie.  :)

I've really been soaking up every moment with the boys.  December was magical for us...and this age is just SO amazing I just don't want to miss a moment!  Things are crazy, silly and downright chaotic somedays, but we are embracing it and laughing.  These three boys are teaching us something new everyday it seems...on how to be more patient...how to NOT take things so seriously...and to see the joy in every moment.  Example:  We get in a fender bender and the whole rear of the car is smooched.  Fire, ambulance and police arrive at the scene and it's quite an event.  As soon as we're "free" to go...I start to drive away and Tommy says, "WOW MOM!  How awesome was that?!?  We met a real fireman and even got stickers!"  lol   Kids are awesome.

Grant stands ALONE!

Aside from cutting a new bottom tooth this morning, Grant surprised us by climbing up my leg, letting go....then standing ON HIS OWN for a full 10 seconds.  He was wobbly, but SO proud of himself.

With all the cruising and climbing he's been doing...I'm sure walking is just around the corner!

Our Christmas Card

Many of you have already received our card this year.  But it is worth posting for those of you who haven't.  :)  How cute is that face?  Not a spec of Photoshop on these sweet faces either.  The only adjustment was putting the words "Santa Baby" on the bottom.  

I AM going to post some of the outtakes though.  They are too funny!!!  Stay tuned...

Hurry down the Chimney tonight!!

BIG news from our LITTLE guy!

Grant was so funny tonight.  It was a BIG night in his world.  He climbed the stairs to the second floor twice on his own.  The whole flight!  And he has almost mastered climbing down, too.  (Just needs to work on flipping onto his belly and not stopping to look over his shoulder as it makes him wobbly.)

He was so proud of his accomplishments - which came right after tubby time - that he couldn't go to sleep.  We let him stay up with us for awhile and during that time he was all about being a BIG boy.  He was cruising the furniture like a pro and trying to climb up onto the couch.  He even grabbed the remote control and aimed it at the TV and changed channels.  Clearly he is starting to feel more independent!

This little guy is super smart.   We are constantly impressed by his ability to communicate his needs.  And that is probably why he is such a laid back, relaxed little guy.  He isn't frustrated.  :)  And based upon his cruising today and tonight, Kevin and I are both betting that he starts walking before his 1st birthday.   Congrats to Grant on such an exciting day!!

Whistling and clapping!

This morning Grant surprised us by crawling up to Cole on the couch...pulling himself up...and clapping!  It was so cute.   Another trick he's been doing for awhile now is whistling.  (He is whistling right now as I type.)  One funny thing he does is whistle when he goes out in the cold.  The moment we step outside...he starts.  Totally random...but it makes the boys crazy as they are still trying to whistle!

Grant's new moves!

Grant's best buddy at playgroup is a little boy named Thomas.  Grant is still doing the army crawl thing, but his buddy has mastered actual crawling.  Well yesterday, the two of them were thick as thieves.  :)  They were chasing each other around and exploring together -- Grant army crawling and Thomas crawling -- just so cute.

So don't you know that tonight during story time in the boys room -- Grant just plopped off the bean bag and started crawling around the room like a big guy.  :)  He was so proud of himself!  Tommy, Cole and I sang him congratulations songs and cheered for him.  Clearly his buddy was giving him some good pointers yesterday!  Thank you Thomas!!

OUR SUPERSTAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My heart could burst with pride!  Tommy is our superstar.  :)  This year, the boys were asked to sing with their Spanish School at our towns annual Christmas celebration.  They practiced during classes for two weeks (they go twice a week) and Friday night was the big night.

I had NO idea how large a crowd there would be.  (This was our first time attending our town's Christmas celebration as the boys were always too young...or I was pregnant, etc.)  There had to be 1500 plus people there...it was insane!  And they were all tuned in to the stage.  With bright lights...set high above the crowds...microphones...I would have been intimidated!!  Cole decided he didn't want to sing after all - but Tommy?  He didn't miss a beat.  Up he went...without his brother (a first) and sang his heart out.

The kids actually sang several songs in Spanish.  I have some video that I'll upload.  I was SO proud.  You can't imagine how it felt to see his sweet face up there singing.  And the best part?  At the end...when I saw him...he leaped into my arms and was so proud of HIMSELF.

Pre-concert -- Cole has decided not to sing and you can see the relief...and Tommy has decided to go for it.  You can see his excitement!  Cole was very proud of Tommy.

Close up of his sweet face on stage.

Here they are between songs.

The group on stage.

Grant was wearing his Christmas outfit!

This is just a taste of HOW many people were downtown.  It was crazy!  These crowds went on for blocks.

My best pals...

A warm November afternoon gave me an opportunity to work on a "concept shoot" with a local photographer.  She wanted to capture a mother just interacting with her kids.  This is the result.

Happenings....

All three boys are at the PERFECT age right now.  I love Grant's newfound independence and the excitement he shares over every new discovery.  He squeals with delight watching his brothers, stares at me adoringly when I'm working around the house and smiles and laughs EVERY time he sees Kevin.  He is the most loving, happy little baby.

At the moment, he is obsessed with Tommy.  And the feeling is mutual!  Tommy runs to Grant's crib every morning and makes sure Grant has his blanket and bear before coming downstairs.  Tommy tells him he is "his best buddy" and shows him how to build rocket ships with legos.  It's so beautiful.  Yesterday he drew Grant a picture and showed it to him.  "I made this because I love you Grant!"  So sweet.

Cole loves to sing to Grant.  Our jokester, Cole sings songs like "ta-ra-ra BOOM de-ay!" and "pop goes the weasel" in an attempt to make him laugh.  Cole is ALWAYS joking.  In fact, after he pulls a fast one on you...he yells out "JOKING!!!"  It's awesome.  The other day he pulled the band-aid off his finger and said "look!  my cut is all better!"  Shocked - because he had just gotten the cut earlier that day - I stared at it with wonder when he yelled out "JOKING!!  This is my other hand!!  I tricked you!"  :)  He put a band-aid on by himself for the prank.  Can you imagine?

The boys are loving school and really picking up more and more Spanish, too.  In the morning they ask for "jugo de naranja" (orange juice) and yesterday Tommy and I were doing his homework and I was surprised to learn how many food items he could name in Spanish.  I need to beef up my own learning to keep up with them.  Otherwise, they'll start plotting their shenanigans in Spanish and Kevin and I will be left scratching our heads.  :)

Now that Grant is crawling, things have definitely changed.  The gates are back up and we are still learning to navigate with them.  The hardest part is staying on top of the boys as they are always running from one thing to the next and forgetting to shut gates.  The other day, Cole literally saved Grant's life.  Tommy had come up from the basement and forgot to shut the door and no one knew that the baby gate to the TV room was left open.  When Cole yelled for me...I found him holding on to Grant's ankles...Grant's two hands were on the top step of the basement steps.  He was about to go down.  My stomach still turns just thinking about it.

But it actually opened up a good window for us all to sit down and talk about safety.  I've shown the boys what to do if they ever saw him choking.  And the boys have become more vigilant with gates and doors.  Sometimes all it takes is one scare.  Thank God Cole spotted him.

In other news, Tommy was evaluated at school for speech and looks like he may be seeing a Speech Therapist to work on his pronunciation.  We work on it at home, but he definitely needs some more help.  I just am so thrilled to have such interventions at such a young age.  He'll be right on track for Kindergarten in two years.

Our photo shoots...

We've been working on photos for our Christmas card...and in the process...I've REALLY come to love photography.  I've always liked it.  But now I am starting to understand my camera more and that is making a huge difference in the results.

The boys are SO patient with me and my "photo shoots".  The other day - as I was about to start clicking away - Cole asked me if I wanted his "soft smile" or his "big smile".  LOL  And they have truly mastered those looks.  Just ask them...they'll show you the eyes..the smile...it's so funny.

The hats the boys are wearing in these first few actually belonged to Grandpa George.  They love wearing them.  Kevin thinks they look like old migrant fishermen.  :)  I just LOVE these photos.

Warm fall days...slowly waning.

GUESS WHO IS CRAWLING!?!?!

And standing...and pulling himself up on furniture...  Watch out world!  Grant is on the move!!  
He is so funny with his newfound independence.  He is practicing every chance he gets!  I put him in his crib today and he decided to crawl back and forth a few times just for kicks.  He is such a funny little guy!  Actually, just writing that made me think of some other interesting things about him:


He LOVES salmon.  Would eat it all day long.  Does NOT like beef of any kind.

He likes chicken.  And noodles…but only curly ones.

He likes BEETS and fresh avocado.

He also likes broccoli and green beans.

Mangos = LOVE.

Apples = only green ones.

Yogurt or milk make him throw up.  He's clearly "lactose" like his papa. ;)

Just discovered french fries and goldfish.  If he sees them…he squeals.

If you ask him to show you his teeth. he throws his head back and makes an old man scrinchy face.

He flirts with EVERY girl he sees.  And every guy for that matter.  He is just a big ole flirt.

He can say mama, dada and baba.  Oh...and when he sees the boys he yells "RAAAAA!" in his version of a scary voice.

He LOVES his nana blankie and his giraffe named Sophie!

Brotherly Love!

Today I witnessed one of the most touching moments a mom could wish for.  We were all outside in the front yard.  Grant on Great Grandma's quilt, boys on their big wheels and I was sweeping the porch.  Tommy was doing circles on his big wheel in front of Grant.  Grant was squealing with delight.  


At one point, Tommy ran by me and into the house and said, "I need a tissue Mommy!"  (Tommy is always needing a tissue, so I thought nothing of it.)  Then out he came and ran over to Grant.  Plopping down with him he said, "okay Grant…blow!"  


He was wiping Grant's nose.  I almost cried.  There the two of them sat…Tommy (my big 4-year old) chatting away and Grant staring up at him.  When I wipe Grant's nose, he wriggles and squirms, but when Tommy does it?  Grant sat still as a statue with huge eyes and a big smile.  


I'll never forget it.  Seeing Tommy's beautiful, kind heart filled with love and concern for his baby brother...and seeing Grant's complete adoration of his big brother.   Love!!!!

Hmmm...something looks different here...right?

Welcome to our NEW blog!!  I know...I was planning on keeping things the same, but I kept feeling so badly for Grant and really felt like we needed a new look.  Then came THE SIGN.  One of the domains I've been eyeballing opened up.  And this was too good of an opportunity to pass up!!  I'm trying out this new fancy layout.  (You the reader can actually choose the way you view the blog.)  But will most likely move back to a more basic layout once I've redesigned my header and graphics.  

So now...(you are going to think I'm nuts)...you can access this blog through any of these links which we've been slowly acquiring over the years:

Here is the one I've been WAITING FOR!!!!!
www.theriordanfamily.com -- Can you believe it?!?  I've been trying to get this one for so long!!  YAY!

www.riordanfamilyadventures.com - This was always our travel blog.

www.riordanboys.com - I'm holding on to the next two in case the boys start a boy band one day.  ;)

www.theriordanboys.com

www.tommyandcole.com - The originals....
www.coleandtommy.com

Nothing changes...I'll continue to update and post pictures and videos.  I think this may be a little more fun to play around with to see pictures, etc. until my next version makes it's debut.  Oh!  And Halloween pictures coming SOON....I promise!!!

Happy Halloween

We had a GREAT Halloween.  Tommy dressed as Darth Vader and Cole as Batman and they were SO proud of their costumes.  (I was surprised that they both chose something different for once!)  I feel like Halloween was a two week event for us!  Between Halloween parties, pumpkin carving, cookie making, fun spooky crafts and dress-up days at school...our calendar was jam packed with fun!  It all culminated in one of the best Halloweens yet.  Our neighborhood hosted an INCREDIBLE haunted house and Halloween party.  After, the parents took the kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.  It was so funny seeing the throngs of kids invading each house.  There couldn't have been ANY candy left once our gangs passed through.  :)

Here is a short video with some of our highlights.  Including a visit to the boys' classrooms where they sang songs and recited Halloween poems.  It was too cute!

If you can't see the above, just follow this link to view the video!

http://youtu.be/ASbAtO-aIl4

Gravestone Rubbing!

Driving home from school the other day, we passed by the cemetery and I was reminded of a time when I was small and we went to a cemetery and did tombstone rubbings.  It was such a cool experience.  The boys and I decided to give it a try and we recruited some friends to join us.  We baked pumpkin cookies, packed a big jug of apple juice, some rubbing paper and crayons and off we went.

The atmosphere was perfect!  Colorful trees, brown crunchy leaves underfoot...

We found some AMAZING tombstones.  Just look at these carvings!

Spooky!!

After we finished rubbings, the boys played hide and seek amongst the old tombstones.  Then somehow...as only boys know how...they found a muddy hill to slide down on their tummies.

These are their "scary" faces.  :)

They were peeking inside this huge door trying to get in.  Clearly we needed a key.

As they were zombie walking around...

We found the key!  This statue was holding it.  But it was too high to reach.  Ah...the imagination of little boys!

It was such a fun spooky fall afternoon that we're planning on going back again for more rubbings.  The pictures make amazing Halloween decorations...and we loved seeing the stones reveal themselves under our crayons!