Sleepover at the Library

Our local library offered a stuffed animal sleepover a couple of weeks ago, and I signed the boys up as soon as I heard about it. It was so much fun (for me and them)!

The evening started off with some pictures. Each kid was photographed with their "stuffie". Southern decided to take Mario, and Remington took his beloved Dora (who goes with us pretty much everywhere - she even attended Claire's baptism last month!). Then we moved over to the next station where we made color-coordinating nametags for the kids and their animals. Southern's said "My name is Southern and I belong to Mario". Mario's said "My name is Mario and I belong to Southern". (Remington's was the same but with his name and Dora's.) The kids were able to decorate their nametag necklaces with beads.

Then we moved over to the painting station. The kids were able to paint and decorate popsicle stick picture frames (this is where their pictures with their animals from our first stop would go). Remington was so serious about his painting. He used all yellow and was very sad when it was time to move on. Southern used red and blue.

The next station was a sleeping bag and pillowcase making/decorating station. They had little pieces of fleece for us to cut and tie together to make the animals' sleeping bags. And I had brought each kid a new white pillowcase to decorate with fabric markers. The idea was that while their animals were sleeping over at the library in their sleeping bags, our kids would be sleeping at home on their pillowcases (we didn't actually do that part because I wanted to wash them first after using those fabric markers). Again, both boys loved it and Southern really took it to the next level by using some ocean-themed stencils. He made an orca whale, a shark, a seahorse, and a swordfish on his. Remington's was mainly just scribbles. But they both turned out looking really good.

Then it was time to get the animals ready for bed. We moved over to the storytime room for bedtime stories and a couple of lullabies. Then we tucked the animals in next to their new friends and went home. But of course (like at all good sleepovers), sleep didn't come right away. As we were at home that night, we were able to keep up with Mario's and Dora's antics through Facebook. (I really got a kick out of this part. So fun!)

The next morning we were able to go to the library and pick up our friends. As you can tell, they had a blast at their first sleepover!

Golf tournament

We recently visited "Coach Wyatt" at the golf course during a tournament. It was great to spend time with Daddy during a workday. The boys had fun.

 

 

Here are my boys (the sun was facing them so Southern pulled his cap over his eyes).

 

 

We were able to ride around with Dustin on the golf cart to check on his players.

 

 And, of course, you are supposed to be quiet while the golfers are playing... we're going to have to work on this part a bit ;)

Another Dentist Visit

We recently had Southern's 3rd and Remington's 2nd dentist visits. They were excited (and, of course, Dora went to the appointment with us).

 

 

Southern decided that he would get checked out first.

 

Remington was happy to watch.

 

 

They took x-rays of Southern's teeth. Then the dentist came in and checked out the x-ray and looked in Southern's mouth. Southern did a really good job the whole time. He was very cooperative and happy. But when it came time for Remington's turn, we ran into a pickle. He didn't want to sit without me, and I couldn't be in the room during the x-rays since I'm pregnant. So the dentist ended up just checking him by hand and said we could try x-rays next time.

 

Both boys checked out as healthy with no problems. The dentist could tell that Remington was a thumb-sucker though. But he told me not to worry and not to try to make Remington quit. He said he will eventually quit on his own as he matures, and his mouth and teeth are still forming so it's not going to cause any permanent damage.

 

 

The boys each got a balloon and sticker for being such good patients. They also go new toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes. What a fun adventure for them! And I'm excited that they view dentist visits as FUN.

Christmas 2012 - Part 2

Whew! Okay, here's the second part of our 2012 Christmas tales...



Southern, Lindsey, Remington, and Dustin on Christmas Eve, 2012

We started off our annual Christas Eve trip to Yoakum with a stop at Dustin's granny's house. We had lunch there, opened a few presents, and visited with family.

 

Then it was naptime. It's always difficult to stick to our schedules when we're away from home. Remington won't just nap at someone's house, so we thought he may fall asleep in the car if we drove around. Well, after an hour of driving backroads in Yoakum and Sweet Home, he was still wide awake. Boo.

 

So we went ahead with our plans and stopped by the cemetary. Instead of sleeping in the car though, Remington joined us in our visit and helped leave the plants we had picked out at each grave. We use this time to tell the kids about our relatives that have gone before us and to try to answer all of Southern's "why"s. Southern still remembers Poppy which is bittersweet.





 

We were also planning on stopping by the nursing home to visit my Hahn grandparents at this time, but my granny had called the day before to tell us that a lot of people there were sick with the flu, and she didn't want us to bring our kids around that.

 

The next stop of the day was DeDe's house for the Wyatt Christmas. We all had fun opening presents, snacking on food, and visiting with family.

 The last stop of the day was my Perez grandparents' house. The boys had a blast with their boy cousins.

 

And it was good to see my cousins. Everyone was able to make it this year except for Dayne, McKey, and Sutton (he had the flu).

 Can you spot the changes from Picture 1 to Picture 2? Yeah, I think the whole not-napping thing was catching up to Remington.

 

And, the highlight of the day for Southern, a visit from Santa! He was so excited to get his gift and to sit on Santa's lap.

 

It was a jam-packed day. We ended up bathing and dressing the boys in pjs before we left Yoakum because they were bound to fall asleep in the car quickly. I think Remington made it as far as Dairy Queen, and Southern lasted until Hoccheim. Once we got home, we put the kids straight to bed and the started unloading the car. It was PACKED!

 

Then, finally, it was time for some sleep for Dustin and me. On Christmas morning, we started with a yummy breakfast. Then it was time for more gifts!



 



 

What a great Christmas Day!

 

We had two more Christmas parties after this, so our Christmas season was as busy as ever.

 

Boy or Girl?

Nope, we haven't found out the gender of our newest Wyatt baby yet. But that's the question that's usually on everyone's mind. Dustin and I have talked about it, and we're not hoping one way or another. With Southern, we were hoping for a boy. With Remington, we were fine either way. And, again, we're feeling neutral.

Growing up, I remember always wanting 5 kids. I wanted 3 boys, a girl, and then another boy. I had names picked out already. Among others, I liked Michael, Steven, and Everett the best. I don't think I ever really settled on a girl name that I really loved. Turns out I married a guy who had two really close friends - Michael and Stephen - so those were out. And Everett Wyatt?? Too many t's, I think.

So, my plan so far is panning out. But now that I'm a mom and am living in this moment - do I still want 5 kids? Maybe. Maybe not. I'm on my fourth pregnancy right now, and we plan on just taking it as it comes. No firm decisions just yet. And we've been so blessed.

We have two wonderful sons. They can get loud and rough, but they can also be so sweet and sensitive. And the relationship between a mother and son is precious. (I know father and son relationships are precious too - they're just different. With us, it's more emotional. With the dads, it's more physical.)

Southern can tell if I'm ever sad, and he'll hug and kiss me. Then he'll ask if his kisses made me happy. And, of course, the answer is always yes. How could they not? He also likes to snuggle. At bedtime, he'll always ask me to hold and rock him. I know I won't always be doing that so I try to take advantage of it as often as possible. We'll rock in the dark listening to his sleepytime music. And he has this little head nudge that he does (Dustin does the exact same thing!!) when I'm on the couch. He'll climb up next to me and rub the top of his head on my shoulder or chest as he settles in.

And Remington has always been our little Mama's boy. He too likes to hold my hand, but with him, it's more often than Southern - especially when we're out in public. But he also likes to walk around the house holding my hand too. And he likes to snuggle and rock as well, all while sucking his thumb. His first word was Mommy.

So have I "missed out" by not having a daughter? Not at all. I'm thinking everyone else has missed out by not having my boys! ;) I know I'm biased, but they're so beautiful. And they're such good friends. They do everything together - and want to. When one wakes up in the morning, the first thing they want to do is go check on the other. They play so well together and really enjoy each other's company. It's been great having these two.

And I'm still able to shop for cute clothes and dress them up. (No, I probably don't buy as much since there are no frilly dresses to worry about - but that just means I get to spend more time and money buying dresses for myself! haha). They like to go to Hobby Lobby with me and pick out fabric. They like to go shopping with me anywhere really. They've had a blast at Target, Kohl's, and Victoria's Secret. Southern will even pick out different clothes to show me what he thinks I may like (he was showing me different panties at VS!). They like to help me in the kitchen. So they're doing (and enjoying) all of the things a daughter and mother would. They just pick out racecar and football fabric instead of butterflies and flowers. But that's unimportant.

Plus, I'm thinking ahead to those milestones - getting your period, trying on bras, getting dumped by your boyfriend, not getting asked to prom, etc. - that we won't have to worry about. And think how much we'll save on weddings!!

But, if we were to have a girl next, we would certainly embrace the change of pace. I've never really wanted more than one girl though, so that may affect our how-many-kids-to-have decision. I'm not trying to paint out a picture that daughters are horrible - I am one! - and I know my niece has been pretty awesome! ;) But I'm just suited well for my guys. (And we do have so many cute clothes in storage just waiting for another little boy to wear them.)

So... it's up to God. It's His plan. And He will do what's best for us when the time comes.

Right now I'm living my "best" as the mother of these two boys.

Christmas 2012 - Part 1

I know, I know... it's late. But better late than never!

Our month of December was super busy. There were so many local activities that we participated in this year.

One of the events was held at the Sophienburg Museum. We enjoyed music from an antique German Wurlitzer (which is similar to a calliope like you would see at a circus). We got to hear a story about St Nickolaus and learned a German prayer to say to him when he arrived:

Ich bin klein
Mein herz ist rein
Soll niemand drin wohnen
Als Jesus allein.
English translation:
I am small,
my heart is pure.
No one shall live in it
but Jesus alone

Then he talked to us in German for awhile, and the kids were able to go up to him. He gave each child a candy cane. They had a craft station set up as well where the boys made Christmas ornaments. Then we were able to tour the museum which was very nice. Here's a little history about the museum:

"In 1845 Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels and a group of emigrants set out from Germany to start a colony in the Republic of Texas. The Prince chose a site on the Comal River because of its abundant water, lush vegetation, and "a good omen." He and his band of pioneers founded New Braunfels, named for his hometown in Germany.
Prince Carl chose a hill overlooking the beginnings of the town and began his plan to build a castle on the site. His home was to be called Sophienburg — Sophie's Castle — for his fiancée, Lady Sophia, Princess of Salm-Salm. He returned to Germany to bring Sophia to Texas, but she refused to leave. Prince Carl chose his fiancée over Texas and stayed in Germany to marry Sophia. He never returned to Texas. Today the Sophienburg Museum and Archives stands on the hill chosen long ago by Prince Carl."

The next week we went by our church/Southern's school to visit with Santa and get some pictures.

The following weekend we got to see Santa again at the park. We signed up for the Dine-in Flick with St Nick where we were able to meet Santa for pictures, write letters to Santa, decorate cookies, and have a yummy meal. After that, we all got on the Landa Park train which was decorated with Christmas lights to ride over to the dance slab. They had a projector set up with a movie screen, and we watched The Polar Express while sipping hot chocolate and eating popcorn under the stars. Very cool.

We also enjoyed the Christmas lights downtown followed by another visit to our favorite local bakery.

 

 

Southern picked out the Holiday Armadillo cookie. I love it! I was an avid watcher of Friends throught high school and college. So if you haven't seen it, this cookie is a reference to the episode where Ross dressed up as the "holiday armadillo" since the costume store was out of Santa suits. Too funny. 

Remington picked out the Santa Claus cookie.

Dustin enjoyed his bread pudding.

 We also drove around neighborhoods (including our own) to check out Christmas lights a few times that month. At one, we found "The West Pole", and they had a real show going on. It enough for us to park and get out to dance to a few songs as we watched. They had the lights coordinated to the music which was playing in our car from the radio station created by them. Very cool.

The boys were dancing to the music at The West Pole. (You can see the house next door had a lit sign in their yard that said "ditto" with an arrow pointing at the house with the crazy awesome light show. Love it!)

 

 

 And here's a video clip of one of the songs. See if you can spot Santa in the window.

 

 

And that's just some of the local stuff that we did this month. I will have to make another post sharing the family Christmas activities in NB, Austin, and Yoakum.

Our Growing Family

Dustin and I would like to announce that our family is again growing...

We are having another baby! And that baby is due on August 9, 2013. Yay!

My next appointment is at the beginning of February - stay tuned!