Shaffer Family: June 2011

I am so very glad summer has arrived! I have had a few rough weeks - sleep deprivation, too cold or too hot weather, a two year old testing the waters, failed attempts at potty training, hormones, trying to be a veterinarian (part-time) and a Mom (full-time)! I am happy to report that I am out of my "funk" and back to being me again!! God has been so good to me and I am so very thankful for the many blessings and my very precious (most of the time) boys!

It appears that I am getting a bit behind on my blogging, so I will start where I am and work backwards! On a high note, I got Isaiah's First Year Book (135 pages of pictures and memories) finished just weeks after his first birthday - now Daddy needs to proof read and it will be off to the printer! Unfortunately, Andrew Bruce's first year book still isn't finished - I think it will be difficult to keep under 400 pages!

Andrew is just about to turn three and I can see him growing up right before my eyes. The questions, conversations and funny things he says make me smile! I told him he was going to be as tall as Mommy someday, his reply "I am going to be as tall as Daddy, I am a big guy - NOT a girl!" He is getting stickers on his potty chart and pretty much fully potty trained at home - I just can't let go of the pull-ups when we leave the house! He also has taken to his building character charts and likes to point out when he shares with his brother, is obedient or patient that he needs a big STAR! Surprisingly enough, he heads straight to the chart when he hits his brother and tells me he needs to ask for forgiveness, that being patient is better than a mighty warrior and asks for a "little bit" of discipline! Oh, he is so precious right now. His big, thick glasses (which I have had some difficulty keeping on him these days) and chipped tooth smile make me adore him even more! He is getting along very well with Isaiah and will not let him out of my sight! I often hear, "Mom get Isaiah, I don't want him to get hurt!" I think three is going to be so much FUN!

Baby Isaiah is not much of a baby anymore! He is on the go and is getting pretty interested in walking, but not yet... He is my adventurous one and would rather be outside exploring the backyard than anywhere else! He is very into playing with cars, shooting baskets, and pretty much anything he has seen big brother doing! He follows Daddy and Andrew around everywhere and likes to think that he is just one of the guys! He has been doing great staying with Grandma Shaffer or Daddy when Mommy is working (every other Saturday), but his face lights up when I get home, which always melts a Mommy's heart! I am totally in LOVE with this baby! He likes to cover his eyes and play peek-a-boo, can bark like a dog and loves to shake his head with Andrew and laugh (I have this on video). Some of his other favorite things include splashing in the toilet (which he does every chance he gets!), swimming in the Monkey Pool, pulling everything out of the kitchen cabinets (I keep thinking baby proofing would be wise at some point) and climbing any and all stairs - pictures to follow. One will be so much FUN!

This Daddy deserves some big award, but settles with a home-cooked meal every few nights! I don't think there is a more dedicated Daddy out there - he too is totally in LOVE with these boys! He comes home from a long day of work eager to play with the boys and does not work on anything else until they are both sleeping - of course this is after our bedtime routine of shooting some hoops, "hockey "(hitting golf balls around the bathroom), bath, bed time stories, prayers, kisses and finally SLEEP!! He still manages to complete his MBA, analyze all the finances, take out the trash, do all the yardwork, keep my gas tank full and do a fair share of the laundry! I am one blessed lady - any of you are welcome to remind me of that next time I get in a "funk"!