Barnes Boys - Where They At?

September - the weather is cooling down, school has started (for all three!!) and dinners are being cooked during breakfast (my favorite). We are still adjusting to the new schedule of weekday school/sporting practices and weekend sporting games. I am enjoying the (somewhat) cooler weather, the earlier mornings and the two mornings the little ones are in school- i get soooooooo much done- its amazing!

Bodie O - Soccer star! I missed his first game, but the second one last weekend - he played so well! 4 goals!!! he was unstoppable - i asked him how he got so good, he replied,"because i was zigging and zagging" and bryson walked over and said, "yeah - i taught him how to do that" -so stinkin cute! and bryson was cheering him on the sidelines...it was so sweet - ah brothers...my brother would never have gone to a dance competition and cheered for me...but maybe that is just my brother and not indicative of sibling relationships as a whole...at any rate - bryson was super proud of bodie too - and bodie is just LOVING soccer. he asks me every day if he has practice (he doesn't during the week) but wishes it were every night. Bodie is also playing with Bobby more...which is the good thing...the bad thing is that if Bobby does not wish to play whatever game with Bodie it turns ugly...Bodie feels strong emotions about that.

Bodie also started pre-school again. This is his third (and final) year. He and Bobby go 2 mornings a week for 3 hours. He has Bryson's old teacher and she is finding out how different the two boys are first hand. It's cute!  

Bryson - here he is with his golf coach - Mr. Mike Krantz - eyeing his putting line...or something...Krantz is great for Bryson - very patient and only tells him a couple of things at a time. We have noticed a lot of improvement. Bryson is in soccer and golf - in fact last weekend and this weekend is soccer games on Saturdays, golf tournament on Sunday. Bryan has been super patient with him as well - I don't know how he does it so well - 5 minutes with Bryson and homework and I'm ready to lose it! But Bryson has been doing great in both sports. He wrote in his class little introduce yourself project that when he grows up he wants to be a professional golfer. Speaking of which, he started the second grade...which is weird for me to even write that down. His teacher seems really great - and although he had a rough few weeks in the beginning -he told me the other day that he is actually starting to like school - so yay! that made me happy because my heart was breaking to see him so defeated every morning. 

Every night before bed I have been reading The Magician's Nephew to the boys. Bryson is at the perfect age for this. He gets mad every single night when I finish the chapter because C.S. Lewis does a great job at ending every chapter in some cliff hanger fashion. It has been great to see the correlations he is making on his own about the Bible and the story and it is a great springboard for conversations about big moral questions, biblical questions and also literary devices (i.e. cliff hangers). The last time I read this was 5 years ago and I only know that because I remembered blogging about it way back when. It is just as much fun for me to read it as it is for him to listen, I'm sure!

Bobby - First day of pre-school. He has Bodie's teacher from a few years ago and she is seeing what how different the last two are - ha! understatement of the year. She told us this morning, wow...that Bobby...he can sure...play! i think she was trying to find a nice way to say how exhausting he is? We are in the throes of potty training right now. yesterday he wore underwear out for the first time. I had to change him 4 times, then just put a pull up on him before his nap and never changed him out of it. He pooped in the potty 3 different times that morning and then pooped in his pull up before bed. It seems like every step forward we make, we take a step back...I know he will get there - just wasn't expecting him to be our toughest to potty train! I mean...come on...he has 3 teachers! It is hard to stay mad at that face for long. Its pretty pointless actually...he lights up our world!

Big Boy Bed!

I did it! i am so proud of myself...oh yeah...bobby too...proud of him too - but trust me, this was much harder on me than him...still hard for me since the crib has been sitting in our backyard for a week now (not sure what to do with it since the type of crib was recalled - i can't donate it and don't feel right selling it).

so the crib we have had for near 7 years...that all 3 of my babies slept in...is now gone. it is an acceptance that we are past the baby stage. we are entering a new phase. this parenting phase...continual parenting phase. i know how difficult and exhausting baby phase is...but man...this is something else entirely. and this little guy here. this little guy is our pièce de résistance!  He is going to put us over the edge for sure! bryan and i just kind of stare at each other like, what do we do? i am surviving by holding firm to the notion he is in a phase...i believe in him...

he has been needing to switch to a bed for a while since he can easily climb out of the crib...luckily no accidents happened, but i was kind of waiting for that "thud" for a while. The only thing with him in a bed is that he is as crazy a sleeper as he is awake - i snuck in their room last night and found him on the floor abour 4 feet away from his bed. he will get there...like i said...i believe in him!

A Video of Bobby Singing...and being Bobby

The Barnes Boys - An Update

Brotherly Love-ish

Bryson chipping at his second tournament

Bryson - 5th Place at his third tournament

First Grader!

Bryson started First Grade last week. He has an amazing teacher and we are so excited...in fact, at back to school night she was getting me so pumped up i signed up to volunteer for like a hundred things because i wanted to be in her class so bad...then i came home to my piles of work/laundry/dishes/ etc and was like, "what was i thinking?" but i do want to make volunteering in the classroom a priority because i know how much it would mean to him (and seriously...i want to be in her class...for reals).

Bryson LOVES school. i am so grateful. but, he does have a problem with homework...and practicing golf. turns out he would rather play than do either of those things, what? crazy kid, huh? i know...i am trying to find our rhythm now of longer school hours and homework and balancing play and practice...and cooking dinner. that cooking dinner part is seriously the most challenging part of my day. my options are to throw them all outside and listen for screams and fights to ensue, or put a show on and listen for screams and fights to ensue. or do nothing and let them crawl all over me and try to steal knives i leave on the counter. so much fun! it works best when both bryan and i are here together, but that is not always the norm! i havent figured it out yet...maybe the week before school ends i will finally find my rhythm like last year.

Bryson is still doing golf tournaments. His next one coming up will be his 5th one. He is also doing the Heartwell progam (fun fact - Tiger Woods did this same program at Heartwell when he was a wee one too!) and we are very excited for him to play with other kids his age in a non-competitive way. He apparently loves golf - i make sure to ask him all the time, because it makes no sense to me...but i am grateful he is clinging to a sport that won't wind him up in the ER...it just will only bankrupt us...just kidding...kind of...not really, but it really is not a cheap sport...

This is his serious face

This is his cheese face

Bobby! I mean, look at that face - what a CHEESE BALL! he is so goofy...i feel like i just updated you all when i wrote about his second birthday, so maybe i can just update how he interacts with his brothers. With Bryson - he just adores bryson - the other day i locked him in the kitchen with me because bryson was practicing golf and he took a chair - scooted it all the way over to the door leading out of the kitchen to the backyard and climbed up and just screamed "FY-SHEN, FY-SHEN" for like, 5 minutes. It was both simultaneously hilarious and annoying. With Bodie, they are still trying to figure out how to interact without meltdowns on both ends. Bodie does not understand the art of distraction and manipulation like Bryson has mastered - "Here Bobby - take this car - its plain black, but soooo much cooler than that hot rod car you have!" so Bodie resorts to just grabbing whatever from Bobby...which Bobby is not okay with...at all. My day with them when Bryson is at school is teaching them how to not kill each other. which is absolutely fine as long as i have absolutely nothing else to do at all. which is the case for me for probably an hour a day. But I can see improvement and everyone keeps telling me how great this short age distance will be in a little bit...just have to get through this part. i have hope, friends! 

Bodie is a cheese as well

My boy!

Bodie is really starting to come out of his shell. He is starting to talk a lot more and it is always entertaining to know what has been going on in that curly head of his...he tells me about a lot of inventions that he could make. He tells me about all kinds of different skateboard ramps we could make - he makes up songs - he tells me made up stories. It is so fun to see his little imagination coming to life. For the first time on their own doing, bryson and him played an imaginary game Pirates for like an hour. it was brilliant and not mama-inspired at all! Bodie is still such a sweet heart and his placement in the family couldn't have been more perfect...imagine if i had bryson and bobby back to back! oh dear...there might not have ever been a third ;)

Big brother of the year!

Playing pirates together.

Bobby's 2nd Birthday Party

Lets be real...this was a total excuse to throw a big party - good thing his birthday is at the end of Summer because it really felt like we needed a celebration! owning a pool business makes you want to do cartwheels when summer is over!

Bobby's face in the last picture is so great, because that was his face all day. Suspicious. He was like, why are people paying attention to me all of the sudden? he wasnt having it! But he loved it...i know this because since his party he keeps taking my phone pretending to call people and saying "me...buhday" so, pretty much means i killed it!

i feel like bryan and i are pretty used to throwing a party or two...we have it down pretty much, but our crowd size is usually around 20 people...i think there were like 50 people coming and going at this party...which i didnt really stress about, but the day of i was like, wow...this is a lot of people. but it worked out and the bounce house was a lifesaver! i wish we had one all the time...that didnt take up room and wasnt so ugly - but my children would live in there!

it was so nice and my friends helped stay and clean up even! i ended the night counting my blessings for sure - a lot of love was spread. and love is the kind of thing that keeps building - its pretty infectious. Thank you to everyone who came and for helping with food and celebrating a very two year old boy!

Bobby is 2!!!

(I am going to do a separate post about his party - here i just wanted to talk about Bobby being 2)

so 2 years ago being past my due date for the first time...i remember being so nervous about a third child. Bodie was only 20 months...barely started talking and a lot of work...my zoodies were about to get really busy and we were just the two of us still doing our pool business. i did not know how it would all work. i was in "survival mode" for a year straight i think...because i really have a hard time remembering bobby as a baby! the littlest of babies at that! I think that the fact he is a third baby also might account for some of my memory loss. I am grateful for this blog, as it has become his baby book, since i dont think i wrote a single thing down in his baby book, but i did record each month here. I think back and so much has changed - i now have inventory in my shop, we have help with our pool business - and now that everyone is sleeping through the night (for the most part) and in the same room things are much more manageable.

So Bobby - Dear Bobby - or Bob as your brother Bodie sometimes calls you - Sweet Bobby - you are the littlest, but by far the biggest presence in this house. Your energy, your laughs, your NO!!!, your running, your playfulness - you fill up our lives with so much joy! At 2 you are mainly into anything your big brothers are into, which at this particular snapshot in time is skateboards....and scooters. You can ride a Razor scooter, even though they are meant for kids 5 and older. You can ride a skateboard pretty darn well too! You love golfing (duh) and have started doing froggy foot now. You make contact with the ball most times. You love dogs - every time we see a doggie on the street you freak out (which there are a lot of doggies in long beach! so you freak out a lot)

You are speaking more and more every day. It is so amazing to watch your little language explosion! You get very frustrated when someone doesnt understand you, but i like to think i do pretty well. You are happiest when you are outside and running around. You are still my best sleeper - you still sleep with "baby" (your blanket) and "paci" your pacifier. I have thought about taking it away, but i dont think you are quite ready for that battle yet...and not sure i am either...man you are stubborn and strong...i tried to take a squirt bottle from you today and i almost couldnt! you did not like that very much. you did not see why i was taking away your fun of squirting bodie straight in the face...by the way - to get that squirt bottle you got a kitchen chair and pushed it clear across the kitchen and used it as a stool to get the bottle that was on top of a shelf. little stinker!

i love my little stinker though! i love your little personality and i can't wait to see the little man you will become! Happy Birthday Bobby Rhys!

Love,
Mom

Bobby!

Or Bob as Bodie has been calling him...much to my amusement. Just wanted to post this pic of Bobby since it captures summer Bobby so well. Always dirty - hair in face...naked most of the day...what a life Bobby Barnes! what a life! Bobby has been talking so much this summer...and he understands so much too - its crazy that he is trying so hard not to be my baby. We had a garage sale this weekend and i was supposed to sell his crib since he gets out of it every morning...but i couldnt bear to just yet...but i need to...but i dont want to...i can't stand the thought of no crib...maybe one more month? *sigh* Bobby - why can't you be my baby ever??

Crazy Bobby

also wanted to share this video bryan took of Bobby...normal pre-bedtime behavior...

this kid

...is freakin hilarious...he is cracking us up lately. i always wonder what bodie or bobby would be like as only children and last night i got a little taste when the bigger boys went to soccer practice with their daddy and i had a couple hours alone with sweet bobby b. he played so nicely...didnt cry once...played with toys actually -the little we have left- but he usually never plays with toys...its usually kitty litter or knives he finds somehow or something dangerous and/or disgusting...but not last night. last night he was as sweet as could be and so giggly and fun and oh man this kid is just pure sunshine most of the day! if i could bottle a little bobby b and send it to someone in need of a pick-me-up he would brighten their day for sure! 

he is still the hardest baby in the world to change - he still RUNS not walks...RUNS everywhere - he can say mama and dada and tickle tickle tickle and kee-ee (kitty) and ahh-duhh (all done) and learned the sign for "sorry" which he will hit you on purpose, just so he can make that sign. whenever i pick him up in the nursery people just look at me admiringly and ask me how i keep up with him...or tell me he is a handful, or a tank, or tell me how fast he is (like i dont know) or tell me how he figured out how to move the furniture so he could climb up things better...this is every day people! times three! the only scary part with this particular number three is that there is no way to watch him as closely as i could with number one...even number two...so this number three gets away with A LOT. and he knows it. and he even has a guilty face at 14 months...lately he has taken to climbing up on the kitchen chairs while i am feeding the bigger boys lunch and starts to eat a banana or something like one of the guys. i think our high chair is going to be defunct quite soon...

bbq

i love everything about this picture. the end.

Bobby at 12 Months

bobby...wow...one. and boy are you ever a ONE year old! you just decided to start walking a couple of weeks ago and now you are pretty much a pro! you run. its sad to mama. in fact mama is quite upset that you do not seem to understand that your role as youngest child is to be the baby and also a mama's boy. nope. not in your cards. you are all about exploring EVERYTHING and do not want to be held or kept from that by no means! you are such a happy child. you bring so much joy to everyone who has the pleasure of seeing you. even perfect strangers cant help but be charmed by you. it definitely makes up for the fact that you do not want any part of baby-hood.

you are by far my easiest child when it comes to sleeping. you take 2 amazing 1 1/2 hour naps and prefer to go to bed at 6:00. i love it. please dont change that ever k? you like to do everything yourself, including eating. you are not a fan of someone trying to shove a spoon in your mouth. its just not okay in your mind. you like all types of food and will generally eat everything we put in front of you, which is also very unlike my other children. please dont change that ever too k? 

right now your favorite toy is remote controls and dvds and combs. but more than that you like playing in the dirt with your brothers and riding your new little push car (thank you grauntie stephanie and gruncle darrol!) or chasing the cat or jumping into pillows. you are the hardest baby in the world to change still...it goes all against that whole wanting to be out exploring everything bit...

i love you so much bobby b! we are so blessed to be your parents and as much as it saddens me that this house will not have another baby in it again, it makes me so thrilled watching you grow up - you are so fun and i can't wait to see your little personality blossom!

Bobby at 11 Months

Bobby! so you are taking your first steps now...you will be walking in a couple weeks...which terrifies mama! i no longer have my sweet baby Bobby B. - i have a toddler! ack! but you are so proud of yourself whenever you take steps...you actually clap for yourself.

you love it when your biggest brother takes you on rides on the plasma cars - and when bodie plays peek-a-boo. you love to eat...by yourself! not so much a fan of mama feeding you :) (just like your other brothers...hmm...big surprise!) you love olives and turkey and cheese and blueberries and blackberries and eggs...goodness...you eat at least a whole egg until you start throwing it everywhere...which is your little sign to me that you are done. thanks by the way. 

you are getting some teeth! which is not your favorite part of growing up :( - you have 3 on the top and 3 on the bottom - and more coming! hurry up and come little teeth so i can have my sweet, happy baby back!

you are so silly and love to play, but no where is this more apparent than when mommy or daddy try to change your diaper/clothes. holy stuff baby! you are the hardest baby to change...you roll over so strong...you scootch away and bomb my pillows on my bed and look at me and laugh...such a fun little game and its hard to stay mad at you with your goofy little toothy grin! i love that little bobby face! here are some silly pictures mama took of you! goofball!

Bobby at 10 Months

Bobby...you are 10 months old..you are so about ready to walk. you get in a squat and stand and it is driving mama nuts! the other day i watched you climb down the kitchen stair and it blew my mind. you full on went on your tummy and flung your leg around and climbed down a 1 1/2 foot drop like it was no biggie. 

your favorite thing is riding on the plasma car with bryson. 

you want to ride all by yourself.

you want to just about do anything that your brothers are doing.

we finally taught you sign language and you picked up like we were so behind as parents. it made me feel a little guilty that we hadn't given you skills to express yourself. because you apparently have a lot to say!

i have been saying sorry to you a lot. 

sorry that your brothers take everything from you.

sorry that you can't walk.

sorry that they wake you up from your naps.

sorry that your meal times are so limited.

but i like to think that you are so so excited to be a part of this brethren...this little troop of boys..so in tha, you are welcome! and we rest in the knowledge you will be part of the crazy soon enough!

Bobby at 9 Months

bobby...at 9 months you are so ahead of your game. you are pulling yourself up and standing without assistance...you are teething, which means you are quite the fussy child at times, but that is only peppered through out your sweet temperament! 

this month we got to take you to a wedding of a dear friend and you did amazing. should i tell you here that you slept in a closet? should i tell you that it wasn't the first time? you love to be held, but more than that you love to know that we are near for when you want to explore in your crazy crawl on all fours. 

your mor mor got to watch you while we were at the wedding and had so much fun just being a mor mor to you alone...what a treat! you bring joy to everyone around you...when you aren't concerned about your teeth and we couldn't ask for a better baby boy!