Post-Christmas Glow

The holidays have come and gone and I am just now getting to update everyone! Sorry for the delay. The Holiday season has been so good to us and I am constantly reminded of how lucky we all are. Soccer season ended and seemed to immediately be replaced with Nerf everything! The boys work on target practice with Devo daily (you can imagine how that goes). The good news is she thinks it is fun to try and catch the flying bullets and seems fairly unaware that they are being shot at her. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, just our fam here at the house. Rob and I were determined to keep it stress free so we ordered most of the dinner, relaxed, played with the kids, relaxed some more and enjoyed. It was soooo nice. Thanksgiving is always partnered with Christmas decorating in this house. Tree, ornaments, garland, snowmen, Santas, lights and stockings all went up! I am proud to announce that Austin's stocking is finally finished and the fireplace was complete!!! It felt like a major victory since I have been working on that stocking for the near two years of his life!! The Jenkins/Burke clan came in town right after Thanksgiving and we had a wonderful and eventful time. The origins of the "get together" was a half marathon, then changed to a 9mile Chocolate run, but do to complete lack of training on EVERYONE's part we were hopeful to finish the 3mile run instead. But with a major turn of events and one failed grasp of a monkey bar, B broke his elbow and the run was off! Though it was NOT what we had in mind for the weekend I have to say we were so grateful to have Bob's medical knowledge and connections to help us make our decisions on B's care. We were also incredibly lucky to have so much family around to take care of the rest of the kids at home. B made it out of surgery great and came home the same night to a house full of "get well soon" signs and attention. It took 2 of us to dress and bathe him the first day but soon we got the hang of things, the pain wore off for the little dude and life was set back on track. For 24hrs....then poor little Gracie got sick right before her flight home and was in rough shape for the rest of the visit. Day 1 of visitors being gone and Rob being in Dallas for business, the boys and I settled in for days of "too much TV", comfort food and vegging on the couch, until Austin broke his nose on the ledge of Braydon's bed. Then Caleb fell off the top bunk, split his ear open. This landed the brothers at a friend's house for the night, and he and I back in the same ER we were with Braydon at 3 days earlier. We were bandaged and back at home in 6 hours, brothers picked up and everyone in bed by 1am. That night I came to grips with the fact that CPS would LIKLEY be visiting and there was nothing I could do about it. Day 2: Caleb spiked a 102 fever Day 3: Austin started throwing up and had a fever of 101. They both recovered fairly quickly (2 days each) just to have Austin break out in hives right before Robbie got home (early) from his trip on Day 4. *Did I somehow forget to mention in all of this that Margie had injured her tail? She wound up in the Vet on three different occasions, was walking around/into things with a cone on her head and eventually chewed the tip of her tail off....yep, two whole weeks of Awesome... On the bright side of it all!!! CPS never came, they didn't have to "set" Austin's nose, Caleb's ear healed amazingly and family (though far away) was SOOOOO helpful. Jess and Jonny sent over a weeks worth of food. Mom and Dad got a cleaning service to come (HUGE HELP) and friends brought food and great company throughout!!!!! One week out of Hell and the Doanes were in town for Christmas!! We had such a wonderful visit! They came with gifts galore and helping hands. We had a great few days of taking it easy, then we went to Sedona for a little sight seeing, it was beautiful. And before we knew it Christmas eve was upon us and we had a night of cocktails and MAJOR Construction! This years gifts were not only on the generous side but also on the large side! A Jeep from Santa, spring rocking horse from the Doanes, teeter totter from Mame and Cap'n, TMNT everything, horse stuff for Caleb, pretend play (grocery cart, cleaning items, baby doll) for Austin. Christmas was a HIT! I am not sure who enjoys it more, Rob, the kids, or I!! We are a Christmas family, that is for sure. From decorations to build up and day of, we all love the magic! The injuries are all almost nothing but stories now. B got his cast and pins out the day after Christmas, Caleb doesn't have as much of a scab left on his ear and Austin's eyes and nose have no bruising left. Watch out 2013! The Doane clan is healed and ready for more!!!

Dinosaur in the Fridge and Keys in my Shoe....

Hey peeps! The Doane fam is back on the horn with stories for all. It has come to my attention that I do not blog enough and for that I apologize but in all fairness how many times can I tell you the crazy stuff that happens in this house without you starting to question the truth of it all. I know it is hard to believe and I live here! We will start nice and gentle with B.. Braydon is loving school but most of all loving Soccer. I get to be his coach again this season and we are having a lot of fun! He has four friends from school on his team so practice day is an all day conversation piece at school. He is VERY fast and so far is improving with his skills and ball work every week. We are having our first "social" issues with friends and kids not letting other kids play etc. It is interesting to see who B is gravitating to and why...seems like social rankings are already happening in Pre-K. So far I am nothing but proud of the situations he is telling me about at home and how he has been handling them, keep your fingers crossed he continues to think it is "cool" to be the nice kid in years to come. (As I talk about being nice, Caleb just walked up and double fist-punched B in the stomach...what?) Anyway, B is still keeping us on track and is walking the line of telling the truth/telling on his brothers and "forgetting" to tell when other things happen cause he may get in trouble. Caleb..slow as molasses... marching to the pace of his own drum! AyeYayYay!! It takes him forever to do anything!! No matter if we are getting out of the car or walking down the street his world is a "no rush world" and has no concern with holding the group up. It could be an endearing quality but this week it has MAXed out my patients!! I mean somethings just have to get done efficently and holding Austin while waiting in the 100 degree weather for Caleb to slowly make his way out of the car is PAINFUL and half of my life right now!! "LETS MOVE IT LITTLE MAN!!" We walked to a garage sale 4 doors down yesterday and Austin (walking), Braydon and I were all home and inside when 3min later the door opens and Caleb has MADE IT HOME!! Really?? What exactly took him so long??? All I know is that I was out of encouraging words (those were all used up on the walk down to the sale) and "hold up boys, lets wait for your brother" had stopped being said after x10. Aside from being a bit polky his is an AMAZING brother, when playing "Family" with Braydon he is always willing to take on the unwanted role of "mom" while Braydon gets to be Dad, but he takes the part so the game can go on. When we get ready to leave the house Caleb always gets Austin's Crocs and helps him sit down while he puts them on him! As I look into the family room with the boys dancing to "Jake and The Neverland Pirates", I am struck with another nickname for Caleb...Bunchy Britches. He has mastered all things potty training...minus his britches. At any point in time Caleb's undies (boxer breifs) are wadded up and sticking out the top of his shorts. Sometimes the waistband and all leg material can be found out the top of his shorts. As uncomfortable as it looks it certainly does not seem to bother him. He goes through life like this more often than not, and when Rob and I try to "straighten" him/it out he objects and keeps playing. You tell me... (And for the record, Caleb and B just closed Austin in the garage. Rob and I heard a faint whimper and followed it to the garage...there was Austin wide eyed and bushy tailed wondering where his brothers had run off to) Now Austin...I could fill a book with stories about Austin from the last four weeks. As the title of the blog suggests...yes, Austin is still putting things in crazy places, the Dinos in the fridge (actually freezer drawer) and then my keys were found in one of Rob's Crocs after a painful 30min search. Austin is in LOVE with toothpaste, he seems to think it is a snack pack that is to be sucked dry like the disposable Applesauce containers. After finding him sucking on the tube too many times in a row and once dipping his Toothbrush in the toilet, the boys no longer have their own access to any dental hygeine equiptment...now all tooth cleaning products are in my control. Did I mention that when I was getting ready one morning (before I had confinscated the TP and TB's) Austin had painted Devo with TP? Yep, the best part was that I had NO idea for hours. When I came out of the room Devo was alseep in her kennel so the TP went unnoticed. Then when we left, the boys locked the kennel and I didnt come in direct contact with her until the evening when I noticed all the white streaks on her fur....so I washed her off of course, but she smelled like peppermint for a whole week after that. (still want a dog Jess???) So sure, "what is a little TP and misplaced toys?" you may ask....did I mention while at a stop light AJ threw his brand new Crocs out the window? And of course one bounced under the Tahoe so I am halfway under the car when the light turns green and horns start honking. Or did I tell you how he pulled a bag of bread off the counter and stepped on the loaf until it was a flattened heap of dough? Or maybe I will mention that he locked himself in the bedroom for 30 min the other day after nap time. Right, I forgot that I cleaned up a bowl of Rice Crispies that he had looked like he was taking to the sink, but actually detoured to the living room where he poured it all over the white ottoman, and if we are keeping to the cereal theme I will tell you how he emptied a box of Cheerios (crumb dust and all) onto B's bed and then covered it up with the comforter so we didn't find it until bedtime. Lets just say my vacuum (and other household items) have been through hell and we are only at 18mos! Wish us luck with this one! Too bad he is soo stinkin cute and I find most of it funny (until I am late or can't get the stains out). The best part of the last few weeks has been the Boys "attacking" their dad. I picked up a few Nerf guns awhile back and the other day the boys waged a full on war with Dad. Austin ran in and handed dad a little Nerf gun with a post-it that said "You are under Attack" then the boys with their "super semi-automatic Nerf guns" went into full fire mode!!! The boys were hiding behind walls, furniture, and tables...it was hilarious! Austin was in the middle of it all with his little Nerf getting pegged right and left laughing hysterically. I had set up a "re-load" tent under the table that the boys would run to in order to get their gear fixed or reloaded and then they were off again! It was an awesome Day....After the "war" was over Rob set up target practice that took he and B's attention for the rest of the evening. It is kinda REALLY cool to be in a house with all Boys! Wish you were all here to enjoy this crew as much as Rob and I do!!!

The boys this week: Mr. Literal....aka, Braydon. He is so funny and take things seriously when you. He is also concerned when people say incorrect things. For example: at dinner Caleb is telling a story about "Bevo-Cow" Braydon listens to the story for a bit and then can no longer take it so he says "Caleb, it is not Bevo-Cow it is just Bevo". Caleb, "no, it is Bevo-Cow". B, "No, Caleb it is a cow and his name is Bevo". Caleb "well I like Bevo-Cow" B, "mom can you PLEASE tell him it is not a Bevo-Cow!!" and we all remember the Phoenix conversation they had a few months ago in the backseat. C "Braydon, I live in Phx" B- "I know Caleb" C- "well I live in Scottdale, Phx" B- (sounding very annoyed at the "obvious" conversation Caleb was having with him) "I know Caleb, me too" C- "the same one? the same Scottsdale?" B- (shouting with frustration) "yes, Caleb the same one, THE SAME HOUSE!" Next conversation is with me and B and he has his back to me and is looking at a figurine we have of a mom with a baby boy, no faces, just hair and generic clothing. I say "is that you and me B?" B, "no". Me, "yeah it is, sometimes I look at it and I think of you when you were a baby, sometimes it reminds me of Caleb when he was a baby and sometimes it makes me think of Austin; right now I am thinking about you when you were that little, I loved that.." (I am cut off by him) B, "mom, this isn't me...I didn't grow hair when I was in your belly; only Caleb came out with hair...,so I am pretty sure this is Caleb." ............and there you have it. When he draws pictures of ppl he gives them knees, two big circles on their legs. When you ask "B, why knees"? He says (like it is soooo obvious) "so I know how long to make the shorts. Boys shorts go longer than the knees and girl shorts are shorter". Fair enough! For the last two weeks B has been building train tracks all over the living room. Under chairs, around table legs, under bridges, you name it these tracks can get there. He other favorite thing to do is play "Angry Birds" on the ipad. This is Rob's game that B has watched enough to know how to play and now enjoys it more than most of his own games. The best was the other day when he was sitting on the couch playing, Rob and I are in the chairs next to him and we hear the IPad announce "New Hightest Score" yep, our 4.5 year old is getting better game scores than Rob!! Caleb has been CRACKING us up lately with his little self!! He has the best phrases and loves to make the family laugh. The other day we were all sitting at the dinner table and though I don't remember what he said he had all 5 of us Belly laughing! He is a riot. I had noticed his hair looking a little gagged and I thought to myself, yikes I better stop cutting the kids hair. Next day or two I thought it was just another angle but again it looked rough so I was committed to taking them to the barber for the next few cuts or until I watched a YouTube video on how to cut hair. The next morning things were out of hand he was missing a big chunk in the front and I knew I didnt do that. (we have been practicing every morning combing our hair to the side) so after breakfast when he said he couldnt find the sissors I asked "why?" He says "to cut my hair". me, "Caleb why scissors? You need to use the comb!" Caleb "well sometimes they (his hairs) dont go down so I just cut them!"..... Caleb's new request is to "play fun" with Rob. That is nothing specific but he is just wants to "play fun" then if they start playing and it is not what he had in mind he will tell Rob, "this is not how you play fun dad". Austin is 18mos old almost and is tortured by not having the vocabulary he wants. he is getting so frustrated when he wants things that he is throwing one fit after another. I actually dont know who is more tortured, me or him! His best friend is Devo and when he is tired in the evening (and can not have his blanket or pacifier unless he is in bed) he goes over to the dog bed where Devo is and lays with her. Generally she is curled up and he lays right in the middle with his head on her belly, Hit or miss if she response but if she does it is with a lick to the head or to spread out and give him more room. Snack time Austin goes and sits with the dogs and does a bite for bite routine. Amazingly they dont snatch it out his hands, they wait as he gives one dog a bite, then himself and then the other dog a bite. He also has access to the cereal so it is not an unusual thing to see him go to the cupboard get a handful of Cheerios and go give it to the dogs. They are good friends! Austin also has a new obsession with the laundry. I dont know if it is cause he can reach the buttons or if it is that he can open it or what but it is such an obsession I feel I may want to add a segment to the blog called "What I found in the Laundry this week" If the segment were to exist I would add for the last week of August: 3 dominos in the dryer, playdough in the washer, and 6 shoes in the dryer. Needless to say those caught my attention right away with all the noise. This afternoon when I was in the shower he pushed open the bathroom door and was carrying the lent tray...and it was empty. I threw on clothes and it was exactly what I had suspected. Grey dust, dog hair, lent and one more domino everywhere. He had taken out the lent tray and carried it/ shook it all over the house! Wasnt planning on Vacuming again today but there we were.

The boys this week

I am a lucky woman to have four great men in my house! And all four of them have their own personalities!! I will leave Rob out of this conversation because it is a blog about the boys but we all know how amazing he is and how wonderfully he provides for our family! So that will have me starting with the next oldest. Braydon! This kid is so fun to be around, he is always willing to help out with his brothers, this morning Caleb couldn't pour the full milk jug and B was right there saying "I can help you Caleb". He takes mental notes on everything that happens in his life, you may think something went unnoticed but not if B is around. Rob and I are putting his to bed the other night and he says "mom, are you guys gonna stay up?" me- "Yes B we are". B- "Can I stay up too?" me- "nope, sorry. When you are 30years old like me and Dad you can stay up late and watch TV". B- "well probably more like when I am 11years old". Me- "why 11years?" B- "Cause cousin Molly (who had visited months ago) got to stay up with you and Dad and she is 11. So I will stay up when I am 11." I was shocked that he had taken noticed, created the equation that would allow him to get what he wanted and then presented it months later.....way to go my little four year old!! He amazes me everyday with how much he is growing and understanding! I want time to slow down!!!! I am with them all the time and still I am missing so much, they are growing up before my eyes. Caleb is a little softy! He loves people and hates to see anyone upset. Rob was rough-housing with me and I did a pretend cry, Caleb jumped up from the breakfast table and brought me a blanket to snuggle! It was soo sweet. Austin hurt himself the other day and again Caleb brought a blanket and pacifier! ....I shouldn't leave the other two out of this as far as being thoughtful and loving...Caleb got his Molluscum burned off (again) and of course he was crying and screaming when it was happening, Austin started sympathy crying and buried his face in my shoulder. Braydon was patting him on the back saying "Caleb, you are doing such a good job! Good job Caleb!"....they are all very thoughtful. Caleb is also becoming more social! He is chatting up a storm! he is less in B's shadow and more on his own socially than before!! We have also been having conversations about "privacy", needing "private time", and keeping our "privates covered". Well Caleb is taking this matter very seriously but with all the new information coming it is a bit confusing. A scream from the bedroom last week, "mom, mom!" me- "what Caleb?" as I turn the corner into his bedroom where the scream is originating, Austin standing in the doorway and Caleb standing naked with his swimsuit just barely covering his junk. Caleb- "MOM!, Ausin almost saw my PRIVACY!!"... Austin is a MESS! He is climbing, jumping, running, spinning, you name it! He loves standing on the arm of the couch and falling onto the cushions (of course this is not allowed), The other day he stood on the back on the arm chairs and did a free fall onto the floor (covered in cushions). I almost had a heart attack while he was laughing in TimeOut. He has been on top of the bunk bed, dinning room table, sofas, counter tops, dresser.....The list goes on. And it only happens when I leave the room! I start dinner or go to the bathroom and that is his clue to start climbing and he is off! Aside from the climbing Austin is a great snuggler! When he wakes up early from a nap you can lay with him on the couch for 20-40minutes and he just snuggles and rubs his blanket on his cheeks! Some of my favorite times with him right now. He is also incredibly animated! He makes the funniest faces and gets the whole family laughing! He is the best final addition to our family I could have asked for. My men are my life and what a great life I have!!

We missed everyone! It has been ages since I have blogged but I just dont know where the time goes! We were in Colorado for a family wedding and then up at the ranch for a few weeks. Now we are back in AZ where it is boiling hot but somehow we have managed to stay cool and really enjoy the first half of the summer. The boys are in swim lessons every morning so that is how the days usually start. Then we have a park/splash pad playdate (it is 95 degrees by 9am) and then after an hour or so at a park we usually end up at someone's pool for through lunch time. We have been hosting a lot of playdates at our pool and we have been going to a lot with other friends. Braydon is officially swimming!! He can swim from one side of a pool to the other and stop for breaths when he needs to. It is soooo fun to see. When his instructor tells him to "swim to the side" she seems to always follow up with a comment on how fast he is! He may be a swimming star before we know it! He looks like a little fish and his stroke is very good. Aside from swimming B is just a joy. He has been LOVING his summer "work book" that we got and asks if we can work on it from the time he wakes up in the morning until right before bed at night. The workbook if full of writing, math, problem solving, letter sounds and sight words. He has a wonderful work ethic (already at 4) so it makes learning time with him soo rewarding! At the Ranch he and Grace were a team from the start. They spent most mornings in the field with butterfly catching nets and after catching half a dozen butterflies each they would head back towards the barn and do "work" with Cap'n to get there $.25. Work at the ranch is anything from moving old logs to damning up the irrigation ditches. It is so fun to listen to B talk with his brothers. He is usually setting the record straight with Caleb on something he has said or running crazy playing horses. They have such a cool relationship! Caleb, is adorable! with his eyelashes that can reach the sky and his smile that lights up his face he is such a joy. He has taken to saying some of the nicest things during the day and it makes him seem older than he is. He will say "Mom, dinner is really good, Thanks" or "Mom, I just love our family" It melts my heart! At dinner he has really picked up on a dinner game of Best and Worst so sometime during dinner he will start by saying "Dad, what was your best and worst thing that happened today?" and Rob and I seem to be struck each night at how nice it is that one of the kids is addressing us with questions!! Caleb is right behind his brother in the water this summer. He went from being scared to get water up to his waist to every day swimming with his head and ears under water and going 5-10ft at a time. He is not yet comfortable stopping for breaths but at least he is getting to the side! We are 1.5weeks into 6wks of lessons so I am excited to see the final result for them all. Last year we spent every Friday at a public pool with a water-slide and play area but Caleb never left my side, the first time there this summer and Caleb was no where around, he was down the slide, up the ladder, under the water features! It is amazing. I love the confidence he has in the water now! Zonie is also doing a workbook and brushing up on his letters and numbers and though he is just as bright at B the interest is not quite the same! "Blackie" is his current love. It is a 10inch tall horse that I found at GoodWill that has become his obsession. He loves Blackie!!! I sure hope that he finds a way to get around horses more and more because he loves it soo much. At the Ranch Caleb watched every horse that we passed with full interest and the few he got introduced to he still talks about by name. This was a neat trip to the ranch for Caleb as well he and Sam played better than they ever have before and they would jump onto the Polarise (sp) and play for hours. I loved it, once they did their "work" and got $.25 it was off to Clarks $.10 candy counter where they were big spenders and got two pieces of candy and a Nickle to put in their pocket! Quit a big deal! Austin....what to I say about him. On one hand Austin is my easiet and toughest little guy but on the other he is a HANDFUL with a brassy personality. Easy because he jumps beyond his age and keeps up with his brothers making life easy for me. No more hightchair, no more sippy cups, no more stroller. He is up and running with brothers, he is tough as nails, that kids can take a fall or injury like nothing I have ever seen! he just gets right and chugs on. The Ranch is a perfect example of him being easy. he would go out with the kids in the morning and not come back to the house until lunch time! None of the others would have dreamt of doing that at 14months! But now here are a few recent (this morning) examples of how he complicates the day and is NOT my easiest. He took a cup off the table this morning, went into the bathroom when I was in the shower and used it as a scoop. He scooped half of the toilet water out of the toilet bowl, the he crawled into the (empty) bath tub, took out the bath toys and sat in the puddle he had just created and played. Water was EVERYWHERE!! and lets not act like this is his first of any toilet incidents. He puts more things in the toilet that you can imagine and seems ammused enough with it that the "time out" or swat he receives somehow is worth it to him to continue. I was hoping to get him settled for a bit in a highchair this AM (though he has made it clear he does not want to be in it anymore) for breakfast so I could clean the table and in protest he through his cereal bowl full of Cheerios and milk across the room and screamed. That was another awesome clean up project to tackle before being out of the house by 8AM for swim. So though it is nice he can climb into the chairs, feed himself etc. He makes up for it in other ways. Austin is floating on his back already and can stay afloat without help for more than 30sec during swim. Then when he is face down in the water he has started kicking and getting himself to the side. He can only go 2ft under water to get the edge but Success all the same! and I feel soo much better already about having them in the pool with me this year. I have to say my favorite thing that Austin does right now is he runs up to his brothers throughout the day and gives them a huge bear hug! He grabs them soo tight and holds on so long that it usually turns into a wrestling match but it is the nicest thing! He LOVES his brothers and I love what good friends they all are. I am baffled every time I take a moment and really look at Braydon, Caleb and Austin. B has gotten so long and lean! He is a big boy!! Almost 5! Caleb has lost all of his "toddler" look and looks BIG and with Austin running, jumping and swimming he is certainly no baby either. I cant think where the time has gone but I do know that looking back at old blogs I am luck to have these as reminders of who they each were every step of the way!

So much has been happening.

I am writing this blog during an unusually calm morning. It is 8am. Breakfast is done, B is at the small kitchen table painting. Caleb is still sleeping off his chicken pox and Austin is walking around the house with a yellow construction hat on his face bumping into things. When he hits a couch, or table hard enough to fall down he moves the hat and starts cracking up; then he stands up, replaces the hat and off he goes. Hat on Face boy has been doing a variety of crazy things. Yesterday I found him sitting at the dog bowls with his toothbrush. he was dipping it in their water and sucking on it...gross. This poor little man is teething too so he has not been eating all that well but has found that he can make the dogs Jump, beg, and chase depending on how he distributes his food to them from his highchair. He has one bottom molar in and now the other is breaking through. We have been using a lot of orajel! My little Chicken pox Caleb is such a little trooper. He has been so pleasant considering what he is going through! His little body is working so hard and he is miserable most of the day but you would only know it 30% of the time. Last night was the longest he has slept in two days and since he is still sleeping I have to think he needed it! His fever hasn't gotten much over 101 but we are trying to keep it at bay with Advil. last night he couldn't eat without crying. When he opened his mouth we could see pox on his tongue and cheeks, we are doing soft foods tonight! The other unfortunate place they have pooped up is the soles of his feet...not much walking around either. On a funny note they were in bed last week and Rob and I could hear Caleb (maybe teasing, maybe just saying it) saying Hanna, Hanna, Hanna, Hanna. It was really cute. Speaking of Hanna, Braydon is doing great! What a helper!! He is done a wonderful job keeping his brother happy or helping when Caleb needs something. They are such good friends and when Rob and I see them interact we know how lucky we are. I am sure you have all heard by now but B did score 4 goals in the last soccer game! It was very exciting. The season is over now but he is already asking about next season and the good news is that I think we will have a bunch of kids from his class on the team! All the boys were out front with us the other week when Rob and I were doing lawn work, the boys hold the dustpan and trash bag when it is clean up time and B has taken a big interest in pushing the lawnmower with me. But when we were all done Dad and I did some "kid" projects. Rob made a frame out of an old piece of molding while the kids painted a piece of plywood in chalkboard paint. Rob Framed it out and now it is haging on the fence outside! It is a big hit! The other project was to re-do the $2 car we had gotten at a garage sale years ago. The stickers have been coming off and it looked a little tired so with B's choice of spray paint (for plastic of course) and some tape the coupe looks brand new. My favorite part of it all was watching the kids help. When it was time to use the saw B went and got his Fisher Price protective goggles on and Caleb held the wood tight. B learned to use the spray paint (Caleb...not so interested) and did a really nice job. See for yourself!

Hey Guys!

Hey everyone. My growing boys are all doing wonderfully with stories of their own to share. I will try to keep this one to a storytelling post because I think those are the most interesting! B has his first little crush at school. The girls name is Hanna and apparently he is smitten! The Monday he talked about her all day. Wed he took a major fall on the playground when trying to get a basketball for her and now Friday I showed up to get him, I am standing at the door and tell him hello. He briefly looked up from the reading corner where he had a book in his lap and said "hi, mom....your gonna have to wait. I am reading Hanna a story". His teachers not only laughed at the 'shrug off' I got but mentioned that it has been like this all week and that he is inviting her to join him in every activity he does. So everyone. Note to self: when B is grown and introducing us to his serious girlfriends we can alway bring "Hanna" up as an icebreaker with the new girls. Beyond having a crush B is getting more and more handsome and independent. Since the family photo shoot we have been spraying his hair to the side (at his request) and I must say he is very good lookin! Independence and looks are both on the rise....hey, come to think of it maybe he is wanting his hair done to impress Hanna...Hugh....I will have to ask him. Anyway. Independence....Jess was in town and introduced some well welcomed ideas about letting the kids get to more things in the house. For example we now keep pull-ups in their room. Cereal, bowls and milk in places they can reach so that breakfast can be started when they want. It is going really well and the boys love it! I have to say it really free's up my mornings as well. They are pouring and eating while I drink coffee and help Austin! I love this...Thanks Jess. Caleb is a COWBOY...oh, but at this point I guess we all knew that. Boots are still being worn everyday. Belt very often but depends on the outfit, and horses are still the toy of choice. He has taken to keeping all of his horses in a backpack (horse backpack) and wearing it all over the house. When he finds a good play spot he stops...puts the bag down and unpacks his prized possessions. It is really cute. The other..not so cute thing he has started doing is repeating things just for the sake of repeating. Example: "I love horses, porses, gorses, gorses, gorses, gorses, gorses, gorses, gorses, gorses, gorses, gorses, gorses etc." Now repeat what you have just read at top volume and you have some perspective on Caleb's new hobby. Austin is a MESS! Literally! The other day all the boys were in the backyard playing and I look out the window to smile at Austin for his cute singing and I see him elbow deep in the (cold) fire-pit. He had taken the top off and right when I looked up dug his arms into the soot. As I shake my head and start drying my hands to head out he pats his cheeks and rubs his tired eyes, then hair. He was Covered! So I put my hands back into the dish water and figure that if he is already this dirty why make him stop. I watch with amazement for the next 7minutes while without any purpose Austin proceeds to get himself completely black (minus calves and feet). His lips look florescent next against all the soot and his eyes an amazing blue. I am glad he had fun because it was not all that easy to get off and the tub needed a scrub once it was all said and done. Along the lines of Messy Austin has stared protesting when he gets his diaper changed. He arches his back, screams and squirms. This has been met but some significant effort to enforce the "correct behavior" and just when I thought I had won the battle he has found my weakness. He no longer squirms when the diaper is getting changes he now waits till the diaper is undone and then reaches down and grabs his dirty bum/package. Oh, but it gets worse....the process of stopping this has been moving along nicely but just this morning he reaches to the side (didn't see this coming) and grabs the diaper (in one AMAZING ninja move) by the velcro and slings is...poop and all across the kitchen.........Seriously?? One more glimpse of a day in the life of singing, repeating, poop flinging, flirting boys. Love you all.

Oh, where to start....??

We are still chugging along here at the Doane house! Boys are growing like little weeds and we seem to cross one event off the calendar just to have the luxury of another event to come :). Most recently we had a wonderful Bday for Caleb! All Cowboy themed of course! He looked the part all day long, new boots, new cowboy belt, new pear snap shirt and he was ready! The kids came in droves! I think we counted 25 kids! Yikes!! They all played "snake in my boot" (a take off from clothes pin in the bottle). Did the pinata ( a horse) ate cake, ran around outside, inside and jumped on the trampoline. It was a blast for everyone there. Of course no party could go perfect so when we start to cook the hot dogs we realize the propane was out and Grammie and Grampie spent the next 35min broiling hotdogs for the masses (thanks guys)! 50 hotdogs were consumed and with those gone and drinks running low I felt very unprepared!

As I said, one ends and another begins. We had an Egg Hunt Easter party this past weekend that was VERY simple donuts, coffee and bagels. The Egg hunt lasted no time at all! With the kids being older they all know exactly what to do and they raced out the door on a mission a short 3minutes and 200eggs later they were done! The boys found their Easter Egg baskets the next morning, brunch with friends and we were off to church at 11! All in all a GREAT holiday weekend!

As far as the day by day goes it is never less than amusing....so where to start. B tried to jump on the roof of a playhouse last week by climbing onto a picnic table and then taking a giant leap (leap of faith if you ask me, he wasnt even close to the playhouse!) Missed and hit is chin, I wouldn't say "split it open" but he was def bleeding for 5min and has had a scab for the past 9days. Immediatly after talking about what a bad decision that was he climbs out the window of the playhouse, stands on the window seal (falls) and tries to get to the roof again......When do they learn?

Caleb is proving to follow in his brothers foot steps. Last night they boys had found a metal framed hamper with wheels and were taking turns climbing in and pushing each other around the house. After that got boring they started running and pushing, this time letting go of the hamper to see how far they could go (yes they other brother was in the hamper). They were laughing hysterically and playing so well together it really looked like fun! But fun ended when Braydon pushed Caleb from the guest bathroom towards the kitchen at full blast. Caleb seeing that he was nearing the brick wall put his hands out to stop himself, hit the wall, the hamper fell and with his hands still up there was nothing to stop his face from hitting the metal frame on the hamper.....so yep....another busted lip, bruised gum (doesn't look that great) and a lot of blood.

Austin is a little butterball!! I fall in love with him more and more everyday as his personality continues to come out! He is a climber for sure!!! Just like his older brothers he seems to set himself up for injury ALL THE TIME! He climbes up the bunk (this is a HUGE no) races across the couch, climbs down the back of the arm chairs and gets into the trampoline all by himself! He is a monkey!!! A monkey that loves his older brothers and keeps his mama running. He is also in love with his blanket! It is so sweet. When he gets tired he goes and gets the blanket but rather than rubbing it on his cheeks or somewhere there is a lot of surface area he hold it to his mouth and rubs it right on the spots that his pacifier lets peak through (pacifiers have little tiny holes in them around the mouth). he sends himself into a bit of a trance when he does this. The blanket goes up, the belly goes out and if he is standing up he starts swaying side to side! I dont know why I think it is soooo cute but it really is. The rest of the days he is running everywhere trying to act older than he is but the blanket makes him seem vulnerable and little again!

Hope you all get to see these stories in action soon! I feel so lucky to get to see all this stuff first hand!! One lucky lady right here!!!! Miss you and love you all.

1year old!

We have no more infants in the house!! Only boys!!!! I cant believe where the time has gone and that all my boys are so big!

Austin celebrated his first birthday this weekend with much support from his older brothers. Braydon and Caleb were so excited they had a count down from 10days out! When the big day arrived they were eager to help set up, put juice boxes away, help make veggie platters and so much more. Just about the time the kids were about to arrive B and Caleb went out front to wait for them. Braydon somehow convinced Caleb to sit in the bench under our big front window and play catch with golf balls.
As you can imagine it didn't take long (the first golf ball thrown) for a golf ball to go right through the front window! The windows are old single pane and the amount of shatter was IMPRESSIVE! Balloons on the wall pooped, the couch was covered, the floor shown as if we had spilled a bottle of glitter. 20min of vacuuming while people showed up and we were back up and running! After that the party took off without a hitch! The boys had a blast!!!

Since then the boys have been playing with all the new toys! The biggest hit was a pull behind dog they have named Arffy. He now has his own dog bed, gets walked more than our dogs could dream of and gets pet constantly (it doesn't even have fur just plastic). The other big hit was a bathtub boat that is surprisingly similar to what Rob had as a kid! A captain, boat, fishing pole, life saver etc.

We had a new and disgusting experience with Austin this AM. He was crawling around and I noticed a small black ball in his mouth (who knows where these things come from was my thought) so I make it over to him, fish it out and examine, decipher its origins and see which of the older boys was gonna get an ear full for leaving small toys around. As I look close I am confused, I push on it ....it kinda cracks....and then POW! the stench!!! It was immediately clear that he had been sucking on a dingle berry (from a dog of course)!!!! DISGUSTING!!!!!!!! After choking down the vomit in my throat, everything/everyone got scrubbed! GROSSS!!!1

So this is what living with 4boys is like...broken windows and poop!

Sports!

Hey fam and friends. Hope this finds all of you well. Life in Scottsdale is at its peak right now! We are enjoying 75degree weather almost everyday and it is amazing!! Just like the weather suggests the boys have been outside non-stop! I love it. It makes me sooo happy to see them playing together, pulling sports equipment out of the garage, riding bikes, coloring with sidewalk chalk etc. Good times all around here in AZ. We are about to get some visitors from Texas and California, we are so looking forward to that!

With two birthdays coming up this month and the kids growing like weeds there is no time to waste!
Austin is officially walking more than crawling! He also got his car seat turned around so we now have three boys across the back all with their cute faces in my rearview mirror! Love looking back and seeing them all.
Though he is not talking yet I SWEAR he is mimicking me. He makes the attempt to say "Thank You", "ByeBye" and "all done" every time he hears one of the phrases. He will be running and talking in no time.

Caleb is now on the soccer team as well!!! Horray! We had to wait to see if there would be anymore registrations this season but since we have a small team and he was interested here we are! He loves it! As you can see by the pics he is one of the two cutest boys on the team (B being the other)! Rob got them both ready for their game this morning and everyone was excited!! I am just not sure who was more excited Rob or the boys? The cutest part of it all was that the jersey # was tucked half way into the back of their shorts cause the shirts are so big :) gotta love it! Caleb is still loving school and loves having his "own" friends!

Braydon is doing great. Soccer, school and soon to be Karate he is busy! He is a determined little boy! He fights tooth and nail to get the ball on the soccer field and at school his progress report showed that he has mastered everything that he was needing to work on in the beginning of the year.

The boys play so well together, Rob and I love watching and listening to their conversations. We are the luckiest parents in the world!

What a whirlwind!!

So how is everyone??? Kinda a loaded question for the Burke and Jenkins crews in Colorado :) Sorry guys. It seems that my family brought strep throat with us to Colorado! THe positive thing was that we waited to spread it until the trip was over (your welcome). The boys had been sick before we left but never complained of a sore throat so we decided to let the "virus" run it's course (it wasn't until later that the Dr. said they may have been the carriers). Then the day after we got home it hit! Jessica: strep. Me: strep. Sam: Strep/scarlet fever. Day Two of being home. Rob: strep. Mom: strep Dad:strep Grace: strep......Did I mention I was sorry????? I am really sorry!!! But here we are day 4 and most everyone is on the mend :) Just a little extra something from the Phx Doanes to you :).

Aside from the aftermath I would say the trip was a great success! We had an amazing time in Colorado. We got to see a bit of everyone thanks to mom and dad hosting a lunch before Rob jumped on a plane home. Thanks guys. The cousins also got to see a bit of each other over the weekend at the Ranch! Thanks for making the long drive JJ.

We all built a snowman as you can see from the pics. Rob took the boys sledding. We went to see the downtown Steamboat winter festival (sooo cool...great recommendation mom and dad). Most of the events were done on horse back so Caleb was in love! We saw kids pulled on shovels behind the horses, kids pulled on skis behind horses. Race after race, it was great!

We are back at home and soccer practice has begun! B is in his first REAL league and what I mean by that is that it is outdoors now and we actually play other teams. We get jerseys, both home and away...yep this is big time. He even has shin guards :) his coach is some mom/ex college soccer player .... oh yeah.... it is me :) we have had one practice and it was a lot of fun. I know a bit about 4yr olds and a bit about soccer but somehow I felt like I knew NOTHING about the two of them together :) We are all learning. Our first game is the 25th so keep your finger crossed.

We miss you all!! Doanes, look forward to having you out soon!

What a whirlwind

Hey everyone!

It has been awhile since the last post but not much has changed! Everyone is doing wonderful and we have fun times ahead! The last month we have been playing outside ALL the TIME!!! the weather has been maintaining 65-80 degrees so there is no need to be indoors. The boys are getting really good at playing basketball on their new hoop and soccer with their goal and even better on bikes. B is officially off the balance bike and on a real 16inch with no training wheels!! Caleb though still on the balance bike has no problem chasing B down and they take off down the sidewalk together every afternoon at 4 to ask one of two families on the block to play! Not a bad life :)

Caleb is totally adjusted to school (not sure there even was an adjustment, he has loved it from the beginning) and goes every Tues and Thurs! He gets to be line leader, brings home art projects, has his own playdates with school friends and everything else that comes along with being grown up!

B still loves his class and all of his friends. His best friend will be moving in the next few months so we have REALLY broadened our social circle and now the whole class seems to be around on his "home days" .

Austin is walking with some regularity. He seems to prefer walking when it is a 2-6step distance but will drop to his knees if he needs speed or needs to cover some ground. He LOVES his brothers! He always is the first to wake up so he and I sit in the family room and play until Caleb (always next) wakes up. When Caleb turns the corner Austin is over come! He smiles so big you get to see all of his teeth and he flaps his hands with excitement! Then 30 minutes later when B usually enters the room it happens all over again! The excitement is almost too much to take when the whole crew is in the room so Austin just starts screaming :) I LOVE IT!!

Braydon and Caleb do an excellent job looking out for Austin. They take things away that are too small for him. They check on him when he falls (or they push him) , they push his stroller into the school every morning when we drop one of them off and even more they have started helping to feed him! My job just keeps getting easier with all the help I get! What a lucky mom!

We will be seeing all of you shortly and we look forward to all the visits! Love and kisses!

Where has the time gone???

So needless to say it has been awhile!!! The holidays hit big this year and we have been going ever since. We say the Jenkins crew at THanksgiving and the Doanes over Christmas where the boys got spoiled rotten! We can not wait to see everyone in 2012 and as the calendar looks now it is going to be another busy year full of family and friends!!

So to start! Thanksgiving was a BLAST! 13 people, 9 bikes, 5 park trips, 2 Turkeys, one pub crawl, a fishing trip, trampoline jumping, front yard playing and soooo much more. We loved spending time with the fam. THe cousins had nonstop fun together and it was so nice to get to spend time with BOB! Bob, we love you working! It gives us so much more time with you :). We also got to share the company of Charlie who was a great addition to the holiday, pitching in whereever he could. from reading stories with the kids to cooking. Thanks Charlie! We have tons of great memories and hope to do it again soon!!

The few weeks we had between Thanksgiving and Christmas are a blur! All I know is we decorated the house, the boys had TONS of CHristmas crafts that were sooo fun and turned out really nice. There were Christmas parties and friends. All in all it was a wonderful start to the winter!

The weeks before Christmas were spent in Dallas and were great!! I got to spent time with Stef and her family! She has two great kids and IS EXPECTING! So i am equally excited to get back out there to celebrate the new babies arrival! After a few days there we went to Gramie and Grampie's! It was like walking into a wonderland! There were decorations and lights everywhere. The new house is gorgeous and with Snowmen and Santas in every corner the kids could not have been happier. We had one big event after another with the Doanes. Polar Express Train ride, Sherk ice sculptures at the Galyord, park, backyard play and MORE FAMILY!!! We have to be some of the luckiest people in the world to get to see/have so much family that makes an effort to get together. We saw the Doanes, Doanes, Doanes and Doanes! That is right! Robs 2 Brothers and their families, the Grandparents and Steve's brother and wife also made the trip! It was so great.

Christmas day was neat!! The boys got a guitar, violin, Cars, Farm Animals and baby toys from Santa! They hit the jackpot. So after arriving with one big suitcase for the whole fam we returned 13days later with 4 giant suitcases all of which were pushing their luck at being under 50lbs! But we made it and made it safe!

It was been as wonderful to be home as it was to be away. The weather is is great so we are outside all day everyday! B is perfecting the balance bike and will be riding with no training wheels in another week! Caleb has his first day of school TODAY!!! We are all so excited and he feels very grown up! Austin took his first step two days ago and continues to try to walk....Next on the calendar is Colorado Feb 3!!! Love to all!!