Bye Bye Bottle

Well finally at 19 months Parker is done with his bottle. Most of you know I have been struggling with the fact that he was still having a bottle for bedtime/nap time, mainly because it is bad for his teeth.  The funny part is that it is actually Rylee we have to thank for this.  The kids spent this past weekend with my mom and I packed JP's bottle as usual but when my mom asked Rylee where it was Ry told her that he doesn't use a bottle anymore because he is a big boy.  When my mom called me the next day and asked how I got JP off the bottle I was like "HUH"???  She said he went to bed with out it with no problem.  I was like "well keep it up".  Low and behold he made the whole weekend without even asking for it.  Crazy.  I think it helped that he was somewhere other than home.  At our house he just walks to the drawer where we keep them and he grabs it.  Anyway I threw them all away! WHOO HOOO.  Thanks Rylee! :)

That isn't the only way Rylee has been a good big sis lately.  She really looks out for him.  They interact so often now.  They give lots of hugs to each other and it makes my heart melt.  Parker says "Wylee". I love watching them play together even though sometimes it ends in one of them sitting in time out.  Mr. Parker has gotten very used to time out this month.  He has a habit of trying to swing objects at people and 9 times out of 10 he actually makes contact.  When I tell him to go to time out he immediately walks to the corner and sits there until I tell him to get up.  It blows me away that he does this but I am sure it won't always be that easy ;)

We have been spending lots of time outside this month.  Both of the kids have so much fun in our backyard now that we have a play set and a decent size patio.  I love that our backyard has shade from all the trees because it makes it so pleasant out there.  OH and thanks to our friend Joe, Rylee now can swing all by her self!  Thanks Uncle Joe!!!

April is going to be a very busy month for us.  We have plans every single weekend already including a certain little girl's FIFTH birthday party. Her birthday falls on Good Friday this year which is pretty cool.  I am hoping Adam can take off so we can do something to make her day special.  She has requested a Disney "Tangled" party so I have been trying to find anything and everything with Rapunzel on it these past few months.  I have hired a Rapunzel look alike to show up at the party so I hope she does a good job!  Rylee will be SO surprised.  I even bought her a Rapunzel costume with the hair and everything to wear to her party.  I can't believe my baby girl is turning 5. She is such an amazing little girl and I am so lucky to be her mommy.

Yeee Haw

The kids had Rodeo day at school this week.  I bought the kids their own cowboy/cowgirl hats and luckily Rylee's boots from last year still fit!  They looked SOOO cute!!!  When I took Parker to school with his hat and pearl snap shirt on he actually strutted into his classroom as if he knew how cool he looked. They both got to sit on a horse that one of the parents brought up to the school.  I will post those pictures when I get them from the school.  Rylee is obsessed with her cowgirl hat.  She wore it for 3 days straight.  I love that we live in Texas and that our kids will grow up listening to country music and be able to wear boots and a cowboy hat if they so choose.  I have lived in this state my whole life and feel proud to have a little country in my soul ;)

Adam has been working with Rylee almost every night for the past few weeks doing flash cards.  Right now they are working on the sounds that each letter makes and naming words that start with each letter.  She gets a sticker for each night and after 5 stickers in a row she gets a reward.  It is amazing how much she has improved in such a short period of time.  It makes me feel bad that we were not doing this before.  Next week we will start with the site word flash cards.

Parker has been so cute lately.  He will sit on my lap and point at my nose and say "nooose", then eyes "eeeyyes".  I love it!  He is starting to become more interested in watching tv these days.  Not so much tv shows but specifically the movie "Despicable Me".  He actually will sit on his little chair and watch almost all of it from start to finish.  When he wakes up in the morning I bring him in our room, lay him in my bed and then he points at the dvd player saying "watch".