Halloween School Party!

This morning, Grant had his "Celebration of Autumn" party at school. It was so fun watching them sing their seasonal songs and look at all their artwork displayed around the Big Room. They had fun treats and crowns too! Wyatt got to join in the fun as well! After some yummy snacks and some outside time, the party was over! Super quick- just how we like them! 

The bottom left picture is Grant and his little friend, Gracie Beth. She's the only girl Grant ever really talks about, so she must be kinda special! :) 

Carving Pumpkins

We had to squeeze in some time to carve pumpkins, because honestly, we almost ran out of it!! Time has been something kind of hard to come by these past few weeks! Luckily we had about an hour between church and naptime to carve out two pumpkins! We normally carve a pumpkin for each of us, but since time was of the essence, we only bought two pumpkins to carve!

Grant has changed his mind all season about what kind of jack o lantern he wanted- scary, silly, regular, Power Ranger, and ultimately decided on a werewolf. So Levi got to drawing and it turns out he draws werewolves that look like dragons, so we just went with that! Levi's squadron is the Dragons, so it almost made sense! Wyatt chose an owl for his pumpkin because, "Mimi likes owls." 

I love Grant's face on the far right as Levi started scooping the pumpkin guts out. I'm pretty sure Grant even gagged a bit. Then the picture on the left as Levi hung the guts in front of his face just makes me smile! Wyatt was more concerned about watching Halloween shows on  Disney Jr, but he did make a short appearance to give Grant some snuggles!

Once again, it was a successful year for pumpkin carving!! Levi knows how to work that knife! 

Now, if only we had people to actually see our pumpkins!

Happy Halloween!

Mommy Moment

Wyatt has said some silly things the last few days that I just have to write down!

- He loves playing games on my phone, one being Letter School, where you practice writing letters. It's one of his favorites but when he asks to play it, he says, "Can I play Butter School?" I say, "Oh, you want to play  Letter School?"  And he says, "No Mom, its called BUTTER School!" 

-He loves Little Debbie snacks! His favorite are Oatmeal Cream Pies. But to him, they are called Lego Cream Pies. Not sure where that connection was made, but he will not let you call them OATMEAL cream pies!!

-This morning for breakfast, we had some pumpkin muffins with some powdered sugar on top. Both boys love Pumpkin Muffies from Panera and since there is no Panera near us, we have to made do. So after one helping of muffins, Wyatt asked, "Can I have more chicken muffins?"

-We bought some caramel popcorn from my nephew's boy scout troop and Wyatt asks for Carmel Copcorn!

-After picking Grant up from school last week, Wyatt asked, "Did you have a good day at preschool Bubba? Did you make good choices and not get in trouble?" For being a little brother, he definitely likes to make sure Grant stays in check! (Which, let's face it, sometimes it does take more than one person to keep Grant in check!)

-After going to timeout for not listening, he sadly came up to my leg, hugged me, and said, "I'm sorry Mom. I forgive you."

Wyatt has such a sensitive heart, funny sense of humor, and an amazing character!! I love all the little things he says from day to day. I almost get sad that I can't capture his entirety on film because I know one day his little voice and little sayings will escape my memory! I already don't remember what he was like before he started talking! I know I'll be so grateful to come back to this blog and as I read these quotes, I know his little voice will come right back to me!

Randomness

I've been using my phone more and more for pictures- not because it takes great pictures, but its just handy!! So here is a randomness post of pictures, in all its glory!

 One morning, trying to stay busy, we did a Skeleton Hunt. Just like an Easter Egg Hunt, but with stretchy skeletons!! The boys LOVED this and we probably did this for an hour! Grant loved hiding them for me too! I love spending those little moments making memories with my boys!

 Wyatt came down with croup last week and he spent many many hours watching Max and Ruby in my bed. Naps were hard to come by for this little guy, so we spent lots of time just snuggling together!! Not a highlight of our week, but lots of snuggles came out of it, so I guess I can't complain!

 Wyatt is still obsessed with doing "homework" and asks me for it at every opportunity! I gladly oblige when the time allows, because it does take some time to pool the activities together. He loves all things tracing and spent some time last week tracing letters and his name! He is remarkably great at this type of activity! 

 We made a few Halloween projects! One being this chain because I would get the "Is it time to go trick-or-treating yet?" question 5 times a day! Since we made this, there's been no question!! Probably have to do it for Christmas too! We also painted some big pumpkins and made some spooky ghosts!

Wyatt had spikey hair out to dinner one night!

  Grant had to do a little maintenance on the Gator!

Grant can't keep shoes or a coat on, even in 40 degree weather!! My poor Florida boy!!

And there you have it...randomness from the Broeckelman household!!

Picking Pumpkins, Oklahoma Style

Today we adventured out to our very first pumpkin patch experience as a family! In years past, in Texas and in Florida, we have always had to pick our pumpkins in a church parking lot! And as fun and festive as those were, they just didn't compare to an actual pumpkin patch! Growing up, we always went to beautiful pumpkin farms with beautiful scenery and loads and loads of pumpkins!

This morning, we went to Frontier Farms in Kingfisher, OK, which is about 30 miles from us. When we drove up, I wasn't overwhelmed with the amount of pumpkins, but it turned out to be a great place with lots of little things for the kids to do! They had a small animal petting area with a pig, goats, llamas, donkeys, and a baby cow. They had a big swing set, tricycles and a path, hay bale slide, hay bale maze, a tractor hay ride around the farm, and at the end- pig races!! Yep, we did this pumpkin patch Oklahoma style!! Wyatt's pig- Mater- won 2 out of 3 races and Grant's pig- Cookie Monster- won the other! My pig- Miss Piggy- came in dead last each race! But it was entertaining!!

It was still a little warm for my liking this time of year, but I made sure the boys wore pants and long sleeves anyway- just because I feel like it should be in the 60s instead of the 80s! But at least we weren't dripping in sweat like our past pumpkin experiences!!

We bought two big pumpkins, and got to pick 4 "pie" pumpkins for free! Grant is already deciding how to carve his jack-o-lantern!! Wyatt says he wants his pumpkin to look like him!

It was a fun fall morning with my family!!

 

House Tour, Part 3

So I do realize that we have been living in this house for going on 7 months now, and I STILL have not posted pics of our bedroom. I know, you've all been on the edge of your seat....or not! But if you have, you're in luck!! I have an immaculately clean house today (Barb and Summer are coming this weekend!) so I thought it was the perfect time to take pictures that I haven't taken! So, here you go...

 Our bedroom is probably one of the most unused spaces in our house. Sure, we sleep there, and Wyatt loves watching Max and Ruby there, but nothing is ever done or even really cared for in that space! We always have clothes and shoes on the floor and our bed is only made about 2% of the year (the 2% when company comes!). But it is a space we like, although haven't devoted too much attention to! One of my favorite things is the collage frame my mom gave us a housewarming gift! I filled with candid pictures of my boys and as Levi and I say goodnight to each other each night, I look at their faces one more time! (Why is it you miss your kids when they're sleeping, but you can't wait to actually put them to sleep!?!?) 

We have a beautiful master bathroom, which I love!! Extra large storage cabinet, double sinks, jetted soaker tub, big shower, his/her closets- doesn't get much better!! Maybe someday my bedroom will become an oasis for me, but for now, it is what it is!

And I know I've already posted pics of our living room and kitchen, but we have a few new additions to the spaces that have changed their looks! Levi and I like a good project, and now that we are no longer home-owners, we like to busy ourselves with small projects! One project Levi worked on was turning an old small pub table into a bar cabinet (the piece to the left of the back door)! He did an amazing job and we are super happy with how it looks in our kitchen! Now, all we need is to stock it and enjoy it!!

Our other project was refinishing and old set of lockers we got at a salvage yard- they were a flat army green, and now a glowing pale yellow. Our intention was to put it in the entry way as a coat closet, but it didn't quite fit the space, so we had to rethink things. We wound up putting it where our desk cabinet used to be, and put the desk cabinet in the entry. Unconventional, right?? Well, no one uses our front door- hardly ever. I mean, like once a month at most! But even with the desk there, the door still opens with ease. And now we have our own little "office" space! I love the pop of color the lockers give to the living room! Plus, now that its getting cooler, we have a perfect spot for coats, hats, and boots!

The only thing I'm waiting on still are some photo ledges for either side of the TV. But all good things come to those who wait, right?!?

Hope you've enjoyed my tour!!!

Eel in Training

Grant had his last swimming lesson last night! I got to swim with him on the last day and he proudly showed off all his cool moves!! He swam the length of the pool freestyle, jumped off the diving board 3 times, and swam back. Then he swam the length of the pool backstroke, jumped off the diving board 3 times, and swam back. He back floated ALL BY HIMSELF! He did "rockets", which is where they kick off the wall, either on their back or their front, then turn around and swim back to the wall. He smiled through all of it and looked at me, with eyes seeking approval! Of course, my eyes showed more than that!! I was so proud of him!! I'm glad I got to spend those 30 minutes just devoted to him alone!! It was awesome!!

Here is the slide, which he went down by himself twice the other day!! He was so scared of this on his first day, but LOVED it the other day!! And to the right is the infamous mushroom, which earned Grant a trip to the ER on his first day. 

I enrolled him for the next session that begins in 10 days! He was so excited to know he will get the chance to swim again!! I can't wait to see his progress in the next 8 sessions!!

Way to go buddy!!!

Can I Play a Game on Your Phone?

Wyatt asks to play a game on my phone, no kidding, about ten times a day!  I don't let him play for more than 30 minutes at a time, although I know he would if I let him. (It's what gets us through Grant's 30 minute swimming lessons!) I believe that whole-hearted play comes first! And as educational as iphone/ipad apps are, they aren't the same as playing! 

With that being said, Wyatt knows his alphabet- visually and auditory, how to count to 15, all his shapes and colors (even the non-basic ones), and is phenomenal at puzzles, patterns, etc. He's a little learner, and those are just the kind of things he likes to play!! So, when he's not playing in the playroom, or doing "homework" at the kitchen table, he's off playing with my iPhone or iPod. Today, while I was cleaning the bathroom, he asked to play with my phone. He's good at navigating what games he wants to play, so he's 100% independent with it. I came out to see where he was, and I found this.....

Who can resist a cutie in footie jammies, with a stylus and iPhone?!? 

Grant's Busy Day

Grant had a super busy day yesterday! 

It all started when I dropped him off at preschool and we got this note:

All the 4+ kids at Grant's school got to go to the Enid Fire Department in their big school van! Since he doesn't go to school on Fridays or Mondays, we apparently missed the memo on this field trip! But it was well received! He said he was a little scared to leave the school without me, but he said he never cried and had a great time at the Fire Station!  He also got to be the helper of the day, which is a big deal when you're in preschool! He wore his "helper tag" proudly the rest of the day!! 

Then after some playtime at the church gym, errands, and a nap at home, it was time to gear up for swimming lessons! He's really enjoyed his lessons, other than the last two minutes of the first day which ended in a trip to the ER. The first day of lessons, he tested out of the beginners class, and one of the tests he had was to go down the long twisty slide. He didn't want anything to do with that slide! But I was hoping by the end of his session, he'd try it. However, he said he wouldn't do it til he turned seven!!! But last night- he not only did it once, but he did it twice!! You could see caution written on his face on his long walk up the ladder, and the excitement all over his face as he came down the slide! His little face popped up out of the water and he had to swim a few feet to his teacher. Then he hopped out of the pool, and ASKED to do it again!! I was so proud of him! Time was up after his second time, so who knows how many times he would've done it!! (I will take a picture of the slide at tomorrow lessons. Why don't I think about those things at the time?!)  

So, his brave adventure earned him a trip to Cherry Berry (a self-serve frozen yogurt place, that I'm kind of surprised Enid has in the first place!) He got to pick all sorts of goodies on top of his chocolate frozen yogurt- he picked chocolate rocks, Nerds, and white chocolate chips!! It was a treat for all of us!

 Another big part of Grant's day was during homework time. He's been on the verge of reading for a little while now, and last week in the car, I was asking him how to spell certain CVC words, like Dad, Mom, dog, etc. So during homework time yesterday, I let him use my phone to play a game. And he spelled and read through ALL the short A words on the game!! He thought he was pretty cool, and I was VERY proud of him!! I think I'll be having a little reader on my hands in no time!!

                     

It was a big day for my big boy and I am super proud of all his accomplishments he's made so far!! I love watching him grow and learn new things and gain confidence as he builds his skills!! He makes a mama proud!!

Sidewalk Drawings

The boys and I spent the evening outside and Grant decided to write his name! With no coersion from me, I might add! That was a first!! He is not too good at writing, let alone attempting it without the idea coming from me, so I was super happy to see him doodling away! Then he made this giant "W" as he called it (the shape on the bottom left) and I told him it looked like a monster, so we made it a monster. And the drawings went from there! Grant added his few - the top right was a robot spider, and the one to the left of that were battling bugs. It was a fun night of not-so-scary monster drawing, well and the occasional spaceship!!

Couple Clicks of My Cuties

MY Super-Wy

Wyatt is fascinated with the fact that the boy from the show Super Why is named Whyatt! He says, "Whyatt- Wyatt. They both say Wyatt!"

This morning, while Grant was at preschool, I took my little Super-Wy to a park for some photo opps! I'm trying to find a good location for a family picture for our annual Christmas card (yes, I start planning in September!), so we ventured to Government Park in the east side of Enid, a place in town we rarely go to. I remember them doing some construction to make a new bridge a while back, and wanted to see if it made a good photo opp. Turns it, it was just ok. But the rest of the area was really pretty! We walked across the bridge, checked out the ducks, walked along the paths, went through the garden area, and played at the playground. I followed my little Super-Wy all around, clicking as I went! To say he is a ham for the camera is really an understatement. My first picture I took was just to check the lighting and Wyatt saw my camera pointed at him and gave me his best smile! I sure hope that doesn't go away anytime soon, although if he's anything like his brother, it will.

We had a wonderful morning walking, chatting, playing. I love my mornings with my little man! Wyatt said, as we were walking hand in hand, "Not Daddy. Not Grant. Just you and me!"

The Grocery List

Wyatt has been working on this grocery list for days now! And this picture of the list was taken two days ago, so you can imagine how much has been added to it- specifically in the colors of blue and green. Every chance he gets, he asks for a pen and asks what other groceries I need. I'll ramble off a couple things and he'll "write" it down and say, "Check!"  It's soooo cute! He always amazes me at his ability to concentrate on an activity for quite a while! 

I'll update to this post when his grocery list is complete!

The finished product!!!  This was front AND back!!

Swimming Lessons and Stitches

It all started with a simple beginners swimming lesson. Grant ROCKED it- I mean jumped off the side, went under water, swam across the pool, and went off the diving board. The teacher said he needed to be moved up into the next class because he was too good, so we stayed for another 30 minute session immediately following the first. Again, he ROCKED that session, but that is where he will stay for now! We were soooo proud of him! He swam his little heart out, smiling the whole way (well, until close to the end of the second session when he couldn't stop shivering!). He absolutely loved it!!! So after 58 minutes of swimming lessons, he got to play in the play area of the pool that has a slide, water fountains, and a big mushroom thing. In that last two minutes, he made a diving move to go under the water coming out of the mushroom, and he apparently overshot it and hit the pole with his face, specifically his chin. He looked at me and mouthed, "I'm ok, I'm ok." But it was time to get out of the pool anyway and as he walked towards me, I saw blood gushing from his chin. The instructors immediately swarmed up, and the main instructor said, "He's going to need stitches." 

Surprisingly, this is our first experience with Grant at the ER. I can't believe he hasn't had broken bones or anything yet, he's so tough and crazy! But that gash needed fixing! While at the pool getting bandaged, he sat so calm and so still. He never got upset, freaked out, whined, or anything!! When we got to the ER, we went back to the room, and the doctor said they could just use glue to seal it, but he said it stings and most kids freak out. But Grant said he wouldn't, so we went ahead with it, and the kid didn't even flinch. Not once! He was more concerned about being able to see the TV while the glue was drying because the Transformers movies was on! He was absolutely AMAZING!! 

I'm not sure I've been more proud of him than I was tonight, and in two separate moments! Watching him excel at swimming, and thoroughly enjoying himself made my heart race! Watching him be brave, and calm, and strong while going to the ER made my heart swell!  Makes me so thankful to such an amazing kid!!!

I All Sweaty

When Wyatt is all done with something, instead of saying "I'm all done," he says, "This makes me sweaty." For instance, he was eating some ice cream and he said, "Eating all this ice cream makes me sweaty. I'm done." He was ready for a new game to play on my iPhone, so he said, "This games makes me sweaty. I need a new one." He was done watching Max and Ruby and wanted to watch Leapfrog, so he said, "Max makes me sweaty. Let's watch Letters!" 

He is one in a million!! ♥

Wyatt @ 2.5

Wyatt officially turns 2.5 on Saturday! What a quick and crazy these past 2.5 years have been! I have such a hard time accepting the fact that Wyatt wasn't just a baby last summer, that was two summers ago! Its just nuts! But I am loving the little boy he's turning in to!

I'm pretty sure he lives his life to be silly! He's constantly walking silly, talking silly, telling jokes, putting his shoes on the wrong feet just to be silly, putting his shorts on his arm just to be silly...he's just SILLY. He HAS to tell me at least one knock-knock joke every night before going to bed. His latest- "Knock-Knock...Who's there? Orange....Orange who? Orange you glad its time for sleep?!" He just makes me laugh!

He LOVES doing "homework." Each day after we take Grant to school, we come home and do at least 45 minutes, if not an hour, of school activities. He loves tracing letters, numbers, shapes, lines, anything- and he's awesome at it, so he's getting lots of practice! He loves making patterns with magnetic pattern blocks, copying Lego designs I make, making letters and numbers with playdoh, do-a-dot paintings, etc. Sometimes he'll ask me twice a day to do homework! Seriously, love this kid!

We've made huge strides at the church nursery! For the first 4 months of us going there, he screamed and cried and didn't participate in anything for the 1.5 hrs he was there! After telling him he was going to preschool (Grant's preschool is at our church), he couldn't wait to go to church each Sunday! He grabs his tiny backpack and walks right into his classroom and has loved it ever since!

He's still kind of on the tiny side I think. Most of his clothes are 2t but I've bought some 3t shirts too. Most of his shorts/pants are still 18-24 months. He wears a size 7 shoe, and a size 5 diaper.

And while we're on that note, he's no where near potty trained, nor have I even thought about trying! As long as he isn't in diapers when he goes to kindergarten, I'll be happy! (Well, hopefully he will be out of diapers by next fall so he can go to preschool!).

He loves playing whatever his brother is playing- Imaginext, Legos, Busytown, whatever! He's in the midst of it. They do play really well together- Wyatt has quite the imagination and is great at following Grant's lead in their games! He LOVES playing games on my iPhone! He probably will ask to play games on my phone 10 times a day! His two favorites at the moment are Toca Doctor and Jellytoons. 

He loves doing art work- he asks to paint and color frequently. He's got a pretty creative side and can concentrate really hard on a project for quite some time!
He still frequents timeout a few times a week, and has been testing us a little more as of late. But he has a very sensitive heart, and knowing how sad we get when he misbehaves is usually what does that trick anyway!

He learned to pedal his bike last month and loves speeding around our driveway! He likes taking the strider bike (the two-wheel bike Grant used that has no pedals) for a spin or two around the driveway as well.

He still loves being held and is quite the mommy's boy. He wants me to do everything for him, I have to sit by him at restaurants, and buckle him in his carseat. I love that he loves his mommy so much! But I love that his growing a little more independently each day!! 

I've loved spending some one-on-one time with him while Grant is at preschool, something we've never really got the chance to do, so that's been fun for both of us! I'm so proud of my tiny little guy, turning into this smart and funny little boy!!

I LOVE YOU WYATT!

Grant @ 4.5

On Saturday, Grant will officially be 4.5. Sometimes I feel like he's so much older than that, but then other times, it's hard to believe he's already 4.5!! This will be a big year for my big boy, so I know this time next year, he won't seem so little at all!  

Grant goes to preschool for three hours a day, three times a week (TWR). He's done a great job so far! The only detail he usually tells me about each day was what was for snack, and if he ate it or not.  He's remembered a few songs and saying from school, but he doesn't "remember" much from day to day. 

He's been growing like a weed! I've had to start buying him all size 5 things for this fall/winter, and he's in to a size 11 shoe! 

I made him a morning chore chart to follow on school mornings and he prides himself in doing his chore chart with no help. It just has his routine- eating breakfast, brushing teeth, washing hands, etc. But he likes being independent and doing it without being told!

He has LOVED reading and watching the Richard Scarry books and shows. My MIL bought him a book for his birthday, and when I was at Toys R Us and saw a $5 movie, I had to get it! We've added many books and two more movies to our collection and both boys just can't seem to get enough! But they are good wholesome shows and books, so I don't mind!

He is been into building with anything he can get it hands on! His favorites being Tinkertoys, Bristle Blocks, Duplos, Magneatos, and MegaBlocks. I'm pretty amazed at his skills- he uses symmetry just as I did when I was a kid! It's fun seeing him get into a new activity!

He still loves his DC SuperFriends and all the Imaginext toys we've acquired over time! I feel we've single-handedly kept Fisher Price in business this past year! But it makes for some great imaginary play, so I can't really complain!

He's done great riding his bike! He learned to ride without training wheels last fall when he was 3.5, but he couldn't quite get started on his own, up until now. So now, he can just get on and get going without needing help from us! I'm still amazed he picked it up so fast!
He starts swimming lessons at the YMCA next week, for 8 sessions. He really excelled at swimming towards the end of the summer, so we are both excited to see what he can do with formal lessons!

We are trying to do "homework" a few times week, mostly working on handwriting and basic language and math skills. He seriously lacks some fine motor skills, so I'm trying to get him as much practice as possible before he enters kindergarten next year. He's got the knowledge down pat, he just can't write a darn thing! We also need help with drawing and coloring- he still just scribbles all over the page, without even trying to actually color in an object, or dry a picture.

He's such a sweetheart and still loves snuggles from his mom! He always wants to play with me and asks frequently if we can do things "just the two of us." He still loves cuddling with Cuddles and Blue Blanket. His bed is over halfway covered with other animals and blankets. He just has a soft spot for his furry friends!

We still have our moments where he needs alot of discipline and guidance in being a good example for his little brother, but I'm sure that's something that will never change, just evolve. 

I just love my little man and I enjoy seeing him grow and change each day! I'm pretty sure he grows overnight sometimes and I just stare at him in awe, and wonder how in the world my baby can be so big!!

I LOVE YOU GRANT!

Old Papa's Farmhands

The day of my grandma's funeral started off beautiful, exactly as she would've wanted it! And then, when it came time for the burial, the skies opened up and down came the rain...and the wind! We figured my grandma wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet, so her burial was rescheduled a few days later. That just gave us a few more days to be together as a family, which is probably what she was trying to tell us! So, Saturday morning, we all piled in to my car and headed down to Gigi and Old Papa's farm- always a happy place to be! All the boys absolutely love coming here.  I have amazing memories of playing with my cousins here, so its only fitting our boys make the same memories! Plus, I think Old Papa liked the distraction! 

He held off feeding his cows until the boys came, so they got to be a part of the action! They giggle and smile ear to ear when they hear him call the cows in, "Come, girls!" They helped roll the wheelbarrow down the rock road and then unload the stacks of hay. We watched the cows push their way around each other, as Old Papa described each cow to us! Sounds like he's got quite the handful with them!! As we headed back to the house, after Old Papa hauled all four boys on the wheelbarrow back to the gate, Wyatt asked to be held (of course!) but after a few minutes, my back was killing me, so Old Papa carried Wyatt all the way up the hill to the house! He may be 78, but he's a heck of a lot stronger than me! After a little playtime with Gigi's bears that line her steps, Old Papa let them pick out one to take home with them, just like Gigi used to do!  

Then we headed down to Uncle Dave and Aunt Donna's. Uncle Dave was ready to take the kids (and the moms!) on a very exciting tractor ride, down the driveway and out to the rock road to check on a neighbors address. He picked up a steel cage on the forklift of the tractor and that's where we all stood, except for Wyatt, who got to drive the tractor! The boys squealed each time he raised us to the sky! They said it was like a carnival ride!

Then my cousin, Chris, came with his brand new pickup and drove the boys in the back of his pickup down the road back to Gigi's and Old Papa's house! It was a day full of fun rides!!

It was such a wonderful day, full of happy memories!! That's exactly what my grandma would've wanted us to do with those extra days! I'm sure she was smiling down on us each and every moment, and saying, "See, I had a damn good reason for making it rain!"

Love You Gobs, Grandma!

We will love you, always and forever Gigi!!! I know you'll be the best angel God could ever give us!!