Ty...is two...and a half...

Ty LOVES Jack's electric train.  I started getting it out on Sundays after church and then putting it away a day or two later.  Ty threw the transformer (a.k.a. controller box) so the train had to be put away for a few weeks.  Every time Ty said a prayer he would say, "bless us to get the train out" and then end his prayer. 

I finally got the train out a few weeks ago and Ty was so happy.  But then shortly after I got the train out he asked if we could put it away.  He loves helping me put away the train cars and the tracks, probably because he gets to hold them.  He doesn't dare control the train.  He will only stop it and hold down the whistle button for a long time. 

Ty has been doing some new moves when I bathe him.  He goes up into plank position so I can wash him without him having to stand up or roll over.  He was showing me his move in this picture, but usually he's up on both feet. 

Can't you just hear him asking, "Can I get the train out?" or "Hot chocolate, Mom?"  Try telling those big eyes no. 

Ty has been surprising me with other things that he says.  Yesterday he said that he wanted to watch a movie about a locomotive (I always call them trains or engines). 

Then we were driving past a building that is under construction and I told Ty that they were building a building.  He said, "No, they're making a foundation."  He got that word from reading Tonka books that Jack has brought hom from the library. 

A few minutes later he said, "That was good timing, Mom," when we went through a green light.  Jack has been noticing whether or not we have to stop at stoplights.  If we don't have to stop then it is "perfect timing". 

My favorite thing that he said yesterday is when Kate sneezed and Ty said in a grumpy voice, "Hey, don't spit on me!"  Today he told me not to punch him in the face (I was not punching him).

He definitely talks more than the other kids did when they were two.  Maybe because he gets to hang out with boring mom all day while the kids are at school.  He's a cutie! 

Kiddos

These are just a few random pictures that I took of the kids the other day to make sure that the camera card was working.  Jack was playing Animal Jam on the computer and Ty was watching him.

Check out Ty's eyes...try saying no to those eyes.  That's why I make him hot chocolate almost everytime that he asks for it. 

  Jack's such a good kid!

And so is Kate...and she's growing some teeth! 

Park

After our egg hunt, we walked to the park to entertain the kids until dinner.

 Jack doesn't peek when he's playing games where you're supposed to close your eyes...

The kids were having fun on the swings, which led to them playing the "lets see who can jump out of the swing and land the farthest" game.  

 Here's Jack in action

 Dave did pretty well. 

 But Callie was the winner.

Unfortunately something happened with my camera and the other pictures that we took of Geoff and Haley jumping were deleted.  Guess we'll have to play again another time.

Early Egg Hunt with Geoff and family

Geoff and Annelisa and their kids came to spend the weekend with us.  We let our kids miss school on Friday so they could play with their cousins.  We didn't go anywhere too far away, just did stuff around town and home.  It's so nice to have a house with a backyard that the kids could play in.  The weather was beautiful, so the kids spent most of the time outside.

On Saturday we had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard. 

 Miss Kate

 Jack

 Ty

 Pretty Little Emily

 Cameron

 Katelyn (I think Geoff and Annelisa have very pretty girls...and Cameron is really cute too)

 And, there's Haley

 All three two year olds in one spot...

 Checking in with Uncle Dave...

 Katelyn found the hardest hid egg (high up on the branch)..

 I think she's pretty...

 Ty was very serious about his eggs.  The candy disappeared fast.

 And finally, a picture of Callie...

Puppies

Kaylie (one of my piano students) has a papillon dog that had seven(!) puppies in December.  Kaylie's mom, Abbie, (my friend) let us come over three different times to hold the puppies.  The first time we went the puppies were about 10 weeks old and were almost ready to go to their new homes.

The next time we went we got to see one puppy that had gone to his new home, but needed to be "puppy-sat" for a few days.

We went back another time when they were "puppy-sitting" three puppies.  Kate LOVED them!  Jack liked them better when they were tiny.  Ty loved them, but also enjoyed the Burk's cats just as much. 

 Kate LOVED Oreo...

 Jack had mixed feeling about holding Oreo.  He wanted to, but wasn't sure quite how to do it.

 Ty loved watching the puppies.  When the three of them started fighting he started yelling at them (cheering them on!).

 I guess I should say one more time that Kate really likes puppies...

Kids!

Two random pictures of the kiddos..

Kate and Jack were playing Animal Jam on the computer.  Very exciting (as shown by Jack)!

 And, yes, that is water on Ty's pants.  He's tall enough to get his own water from the water dispenser in the fridge door.

Kate in the Cat and the Hat Show

The first and second grade classes at Barranca Elementary put on a show called "The Cat in the Hat".  They had been practicing it for months.  Kate and I read the books Dr. Suess books together and she practiced for the show.  It was great!

 Kate's class is wearing yellow shirts.

 

 Kate's class acted out the story, Sneetches on Beaches, while all the kids sang.  Kate was a star bellied sneetch.

She auditioned to have a speaking part and got one!

 

Piano Recital

My friend, Juli, and I held our annual piano recital in March.  Kate played two songs.  She was very motivated to practice and did an excellent job.   Unfortunately, I only took this one picture of her.  I spent most of the recital trying to keep Ty quiet. 

Ty in a Big Boy Bed

We took down Ty's crib and set up his big boy toddler bed.  Ty had been trying to sleep with Jack or Kate instead of in his crib, so we decided it was time to make the switch.  Ty cried when we put his crib in the attic.  He loved that bed!

He's done great at transitioning into a big boy bed.  He goes down for a nap great.  Probably because he gets bored while the kids are at school and he likes to nap.  Night times are a little harder because Jack is always getting in and out of bed, so Ty gets out a little bit too.  But for the most part he stays in his bed when he wakes up.  He yells for mom and then he'll get out when someone comes in. 

Oh, and the bear that he is sleeping with is (was) mine.  My grandma Cox gave it to me when I was a baby, and Ty loves it!  He doesn't care that it's 30 years old and used to wear a dress.  It still winds up in the back and plays music.  Classic!

Shorts...

Ty changed into his basketball shorts by himself the other day.  He was so proud, so we left them this way (on upside-down with the leg around his waist).

Jack's 2nd Tooth

Jack lost his second tooth last Sunday, February 26th.  Jack was wiggling his tooth like crazy in Primary.  I think he was trying to make it come out because Dave was teasing him saying that he'd pull it out in the middle of the night.  Jack wiggled it enough to get it out and brought it to me during Primary.  I put it in a ziploc bag that Ty's snack had been in, but it must have fallen out and gotten thrown away because we couldn't find it when we got home.  Fortunately, Jack was very forgiving and was happy writing this note to the tooth fairy.

The tooth fairy still brought Jack some money in the usual way, stuck in a potato.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Last Sunday, I went into the living room to see what Kate was doing and this is what I found.

 Ty LOVES his sister!