Landon's school birthday party!

Landon had looked forward to his birthday at school for weeks...He got to wear his crown and pick who sat at his table with him. Of course, he had to sit near his girlfriend, Kate...he says she is his girlfriend because she has red hair like him :) She is too cute!

Gabe and I were both in town and so we both got to go. We took him a cookie cake, which is his and mommy's favorite and helped sing Happy Birthday! Loved that I was able to be there!

Having his birthday cinnamon roll!

At school with his big cookie cake!

Part of his class...Kate is on the end!

Me and my big boy!

Best picture I could get with Daddy...silly boy!

Landon turns 4!!!

This year for Landon's birthday we knew exactly what the theme would be...SPIDERMAN!!! He and Dylan both LOVE, with a huge emphasis on LOVE, Spiderman. I love planning big birthday parties and this was one of our biggest yet...I had a great time and so did Landon! We had most of our family with us and invited our close friends and all of Landon's class at school...The Teddy Bears! We had a great turn out, great weather and great fun.

I think the hardest part of all is that 4 years has honestly just flown by...poof...gone...I know it sounds so cliche but it is the truth...even tonight when I was putting him to bed, I asked to carry him as I know very soon I won't be able to carry him and that he won't want me to carry him...He will always be my baby!

He has grown so much and continues to amaze me in all that he does...he is still incredibly smart and also still very fearful.

At 4, Landon can:

• Count to 15 verbally and physically by counting items
• Write his own name
• Ride a big boy bike
• Can draw a complete body with all body parts
• Knows all of his letters visually and can give you an example of something that starts with that letter
• Can swim the length of the pool all by himself with no floats
• Knows every animal at the zoo...he still LOVES animals
• Knows all kinds of trucks and will correct me when I am wrong, which is a lot as everything is a bulldozer to me :)
• He is still very fearful of certain things like ointments for cuts and water in his eyes but we are working on that :)

Landon also slowed down in some growth areas...He is still 85% in all areas but that is down from last year in which he was 97% in all.

He weighs 43 pounds and is 42.5 inches tall...so hard to believe that my 7 pounds 9 ounce baby boy is so big...

Landon, I love you more and more each day and I am so blessed that God has given me the chance to be your mommy!!!

It isn't a Jonas birthday without a bouncy house!

Dylan sporting his Spiderman shirt!

Aunt Cee Cee and Mr. Chris!

Getting ready to blow out the candles...always with one to grow on!

Chowing down on cake....yummm!

Best picture of me and my boys we could get!

First day of school!!!

Yes, I know that I am posting a blog about the first day of school in mid-December but once I am finally caught up, you will see that I have been a little busy :) I know...not busier than all the other moms, but I have to tell myself how busy I have been to make myself not feel so lame that I am this behind...

Dylan started real preschool this year and is going 2 days a week and Landon is going 5 days...They absolutely LOVE school and we have been so fortunate that Gabe and I love the school as well! The school classes have names and they do crack me up. Landon is a Teddy Bear this year and Dylan is a Doodlebug. It makes me laugh when you meet a parent and you say..."What is your child?" The kids love being grouped that way so I wouldn't change it.

Landon has 2 teachers as well as Dylan...Dylan's main teacher is Ms. Priss...I LOVE her name and Dylan can't say it right so it comes out as Ms. Piss...I know I sound so juvenile, but it is beyond funny to hear your 2 year old call their teacher Ms. Piss :)

Here are the boys in their matching outfits for the first day of school...Amazing how different Landon looks from just one year ago!!! (of course I can't find the picture of last year now...will keep looking)...

Dylan's bag is almost the size of him!

Landon was so excited to see his friends...especially his girlfriend Kate...he says she is his girlfriend because she has red hair just like him....She is absolutely precious!

Brothers...love this shot!

I have turned matchy-matchy!!!!

I grew up hating that my mother dressed my sister and I in matching outfits...I thought it was beyond lame and I never understood why she did it....now I get it...It is so much easier to buy clothes for your kids in pairs especially when they have the same color hair and the same skin tone. All you have to do is find one outfit you like a lot, and buy it in two different sizes, and viola...done! When you are pressed for time, you will try and save a few minutes here or there anytime.

Next post it matchy-matchy school :)

Our new pet...if even only for a few days!

So after being home from the beach for a few days, the boys and Amona (our last au pair) were headed to the park and in the middle of the street was a small box turtle.  The boys had been asking for a pet turtle recently so I told Amona is was alright to bring it home. They named the turtle Carmee...I have no idea how they came up with this name, but they did. Anyway, they brought the turtle home and for a few days we made him a home in an old dog crate..he didn't seem very happy, so Gabe made him a new home in the backyard that we thought was secure.  Then we left to go to the park one afternoon and when we came home, Carmee was gone! The boys were not too upset since we told them that he wanted to go back to the wild...Landon said it was ok because he needed to leave to find his mommy and that he really wanted a frog anyway...I guess that will be our next new pet!

Carmee!

Dylan isn't so sure about Carmee once his head pops out!

The boys with Carmee!

Carmee in his home!

Gabe...just because he is so cute!!!

Just pathetic...but still trying...now on to The Beach!

I am not even going to give the excuse about how busy things have been for me...things are always busy and it is just pathetic that I cannot find the time to update my blog...so here we are again...another 2 months after my last post still trying top catch up from the summer...yes, I said the summer and today is November 5!!!

So...going to the beach is one of my most favorite things to do as a family...I have gone to Ponte Vedra Beach ever since I was a baby and my parents have gone there ever since they were babies...TMI but my dad says he was almost named Pevy since he was conceived in Ponte Vedra...PV! I said it was TMI! Anyway...I love it there! My parents bought a new place there about 4 years ago and this past year they completely renovated it and put on a 2nd story. It was way too small for all of us as we all like to go as a family. Mom, Dad, Me, Gabe, Landon, Dylan., my sister, Caroline and her boyfriend...it was a 3 bedroom house with a total of 4 beds and 2 were twins...TIGHT!!! So Mom and Dad decided to go up and it was well worth the wait and the fact that I had to move my summer vacation 3 times because the house wasn't finished...it was BEAUTIFUL!!! I joked that I was going to move in...mom didn't go for it! So we went down to the beach for 3 weeks this past summer and it was amazing...we are 2 houses away from the beach and we can ride our bikes to the club to go swimming...The boys had an absolute blast!!! Aunt Cee Cee couldn't join us this year since she had just started her new job...we sure missed her but there is always this summer!

I will let the pictures speak for our fun!!

Dylan coming down the water slide...he was obsessed by the time we left

Not happy!

Dylan running to scare the birds away

At the Alligator Farm

Annual tradition and yes...I still don't like it!

Bath time - no I have still not cut Dylan's hair!

Gabe liked the slide as well!

At the park - feeding the ducks!

LOVED the pool!

Flying kites with Tink

Me and Dylan

Me and Landon

I LOVE my boys!

Too sweet!

Daddy and his boys!

Tink and Dylan

Tink and Landon

After 14 years...we still like each other :)

They were worn out every night!

Anyone that stands next to Gabe in the summer looks pale!

They love Poppa!!!

It was a great summer and we were sad to leave, but we came home just days before school started so we it was time to get back!

By the time we left...Dylan LOVED the slide, Landon was swimming the entire width of the pool all by himself and they were both in the ocean jumping the waves...In 3 short weeks the grew up so much!

4th of July

What a better day to FINALLY post pictures from the 4th of July than on 9/11. A day that I will always remember and a day I will never forget. I thank God everyday for my life and for our freedom!

So the goal for this week is to try and get caught up on all blogs and pics...wish me luck!

We started the 4th of July at our neighborhood parade...the kids loved it!!!We had a fire engine come and spray the kids which our boys just loved. We then went to my best friends pool to spend the afternoon with her. After that we went home for naps...Our plan was to meet back up with her and go to the fireworks at Cherokee, but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, so we had our own little sparklers at our house. To our kids...fire is fire :)

So here we go....

At the parade and starting at 10 am with full on SUGAR popsicles :)

Then it was time for some water fun...

Then time for watermelon :) Lunch is not looking likely at this point!

We came home...dried off and got on our suits to head to the pool with my bestie and her kids!

Landon did not want his picture taken at the pool...Just so I remember for myself why I only have pictures of Dylan :)

That night we did sparklers at home since it was pouring rain...the boys loved them!!!

Then what would be a 4th of July without singing Happy Birthday to America... and having some MORE sugar...cupcake time!!!

DISCLAIMER :) Please ignore our singing :)

He is so stinking cute!!!

He was so proud of his tattoo...He was so upset when it rubbed off a few days later...God I hope he doesn't come home with a real one one day!

Happy Birthday America!!!