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!

Daddy and Bodie

so cute...these two...so alike in looks and temperament its often scary at times. especially the way BOTH of them can get me un-mad with a sweet smile...they know how to cool my redheaded temper...annoyingly...bryan and i get bodie alone a few days a week while bobby naps and bryson is at school. it is the most alone time we have ever had with him...that is the price of being a middle child...so its been fun to hang out and spend time with him. he is so different from his brothers. he loves to run errands and go to stores with me...he is fine riding his bike 8 miles - he is up for anything. he is a total sweet heart - this bodie owen.

A Video of Bodie Singing...and being a three year old...

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.

Bodie's First Day of Pre-School!

Bryson started school as well last Wednesday, but he has the picture on his phone :) Bodie is back at the same pre-school as last year - which he loves and we love and bryson loved! he was soooo excited to start and all week last week would cry when we took bryson to school and ask me when he gets to start! i am so glad he likes it because we have found a lot of positive changes since he started going. I think they are going to be shocked at how much Bodie is talking now! I think I will be shocked every time that our house is quiet during the day and I can actually get work done! yipppeee!

Bodie Reading

i am long overdue on some posting...been kinda sorta a little busy...can you ever imagine why? but i wanted to share this video i snapped the other night of Bodie reading his favorite book. Enjoy!

Bodie - you are Three!

i think the fact that i am nearly a month late on this post is testament to my stage in life right now. 

the good thing is...doing a birthday post a month later gives me time to create some good hindsight.

some hindsight things i picked up...

1. having a birthday the day before Christmas is not the easiest to understand for a newly three year old

2. maybe spacing out the birthday celebration longer than a week would be good

3. maybe spacing that out AFTER Christmas would be best - gives him time to tire of his Christmas bounty

okay...onto my baby boy turning 3!!!

Bodie is my little cuddle bug...but if i tell him that he tells me, "I'm not a bug...I'm a Bodie!" and he is so correct...he IS indeed a Bodie...i think we did pretty well in naming him (and the other as well) as far as fitting his temperament. He is very calm - when you have him alone he is a completely different boy than when he is with his brothers. he doesn't mind being alone...playing with his trains and cars for hours. he is content with quiet and cuddling.

with bryson his little goof ball comes out - he wrestles and chases and runs and (destroys) plays pretend and rides bikes and gets that side of him nurtured too.

i think it is so good that he has so many different types of people in his family - makes for a nice well rounded little man! 

right now bodie is talking more than ever...in his adorable deep little raspy voice. he is starting to reason and process and be a little bit bossier than he has been (especially toward bobby) but part of me is happy that he isn't a push-over...he can stand his ground.

he is growing SO FAST! he is only 3 pounds lighter than Bryson - at 39 pounds...his shoe size is almost an 11 (he wears an 11 half the time) - bryson wears a 12.5 - and he is wearing 3T and 4T (which i just transferred over from Bryson's drawers) - he is quickly catching up to Bryson...which i keep reminding him whenever Bryson takes Bodie down...he is just gunna have to learn that one the hard way! not gunna be pretty...

Bodie is in pre-school and LOVES it...loves his teacher, loves his class. he has been asking me every day last semester to stay for lunch, so i made the change this month and he loves it. and they get him to eat everything some-how, so its a win win in my book! one less battle a day? sold! 

i love this boy so much. i can't wait to see how he begins seeing the world this year and all the things he begins to learn. i am loving his new independence - dressing himself (almost entirely) and buckling his car seat...i am more than thankful he still likes to climb in bed with me for some snuggles. makes a mama happy! Happy Birthday Bodie! sorry your birthday kinda gets overlooked...but i hope to make it extra special each year to make up for it!

Love you Bodie Bo!

First Day of Pre-School

oh goodness...can you tell he is all kinds of excited? i love this picture! 

bodie started up at pre-school last week (at Bryson's old pre-school). He is going for 2 mornings a week, in hopes that i will have a couple of mornings to tie up work stuff, so that i don't have to do 3 full days in the office. its also not entirely selfish - bodie loves the school so much and every time we would pick bryson up there would be major tears and fits because he wanted to stay too. 

the mornings where both bigger boys are in school and bobby is napping is starting to get my mind wrapping around what to do when the boys are in school. i told bryan yesterday that in 5 years when bobby starts i wanted to start doing a job that i actually want to do. so i guess i gave him my 5 year notice of intent to quit :) its exciting to think about using my brain again. i feel like any time i sit down with other adults and have an actual discussion there are cobwebs in my brain space...we need to clear those out and fire up them synapses carlee! now i just need to figure out exactly what that thing is that i would want to do...i guess i have 5 years to figure it out, but its still fun to start thinking what i want to be when i grow up!

Bodie's First Haircut

Before

During....Looking Not Quite Sure

Love this shot!

Still patient

Hold Still!

Enough!

Finished!

Look at my amazing hair...and lips :) 

Modeling his new curly mohawk and my R2D2 phone

he is 27 months old and had his hair cut for the first time...by our resident barber...daddy. I went out with my sister and Liz on Wed Night and got a text during dinner with a picture of the boys' profiles and his subject said "that just happened".

As soon as Bryan shaved his head Bryson wanted in on it too...Bryan was going to shave his rat tail off, but Bryson threw a fit and told him he was growing it "long and long and long so i can wrap it around my neck like a skawf"....uhhh....have i mentioned that we have watched "Tangled" at least 10 times? Anyway, when Bryson was getting his hair did, Bodie said, "Bow-Dee Hay Cut Too Dada?" that is how he talks...he refers to himself in the third person...love it...

Bryan said that he sat super great and still and was super happy when it was done. he is also super excited whenever Bryan styles his hair...

He looks so much cleaner now...for the most part...he had these very wispy side hairs that were getting a bit ridiculous...i love that bryan kept some of his curls too - he is just the cutest thing...can't stand that kid!

Bodzilla

you want a million different ways to get dirty in a day...just ask bodie...i am constantly washing clothes/wiping boogers/cleaning hands, face, hair/scrubbing down every surface he touches/sweeping up whatever mess he made. this kid is a full time clean-up job!

here he is playing with his "monster chuck alley" - he is still obsessed with them...bryson never played with trucks like this - he was always more into balls and sports...not sure what it all means, other than bodie is attracted to all things dirty! man though...i love this dirty boy!!

boys play with dolls too!

seriously, this kid is a crack up.

if he becomes an actor, comedian, entertainer of some sort i will not blink an eye.

what is sad, is that most people dont know the goofball that is bodie because he is usually scowling at strangers...but i assure you - this kid is comic genius...

Here he said, "look mom...i feed bobby too!"

and here he is carrying the dolly...which is reason #456 why i dont let him near bobby alone...he is still trying to understand what "gentle" means...FYI bodie - it doesnt mean stepping on his head, feeding him raisins, head-butting him for fun...

potty talk

are you sick of hearing about bodies' pooping saga yet? well join the freaking club! we have been in constipation underworld since october 15th...and for the first time since i am starting to believe we turned a corner...

he pooped three times this week and didn't cry. hallelujah!

what did we do? did we give him more laxatives? did we give him flaxseed oil in every drink? did we give him stickers like that "doctor" suggested? well...no...actually...bryan decided to just ignore him. and when he did start the crying bryan would calmly tell him to stop crying. we told him mommy poops and doesn't cry...brother poops and doesn't cry...daddy poops and doesn't cry...bobby poops and laughs...and then we told him to go to his room if he wanted to cry...and we also designated a pooping spot for him. maybe the peer pressure worked...or maybe its just a fluke...but giving up my control over it (which of course i had little to none to begin with) is working.

this is just something i have learned along the way...over and over...and when it will actually sink in i cant tell you...

bodie has also started potty training himself. we have caught him peeing in the potty on his own about 10 different times. usually i just see his little winky sticking out above his pants and know what he did, but sometimes we actually catch him standing over the potty on his tippy toes trying to go.

this is extremely funny to me.

i am also not ready to train him because it seems whenever he does want to go it is at an extremely inconvenient time for me...and also because he says he wants to go and we take down the pants and off the diaper and then its just a trickle and then i have to re-clothe him. so i just bought him some pull-ups and am currently only dressing him in elastic waisted pants and i just let him work it out. again, i am assuming its the peer pressure. he sees all these other boys going potty all day long (i guess we aren't too big on privacy around here) and figures this is what you do. i figure at this rate, bobby will never have to be "potty trained" either...so that is a plus for having all boys for sure!

anyway - thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions and keep your fingers crossed, or more effective, prayers going, that this continues!

Nekky Boy

so...this one prefers the suit God made him. (and i have spared the nekky boy picture for your sake)

i mean- i get it...its fun to be free...but this kid is taking it to a new level.

i just walked in to kiss my boys goodnight...as is my custom...because love is restored when young ones are sleeping and peaceful.




bodie was butt naked.

in a ball.

in his crib.

he was neither naked, nor in his crib when he was put to bed.

he always asks me "nekky boy?" and i will tell him..."NO Nekky Boy!" and then a fit will ensue...unless its bath time...then its on...then nekky boy can run free...

i am so praying that this is a phase...

The Second Child

we would have never bought bryson a scooter before he turned 2...nor would we think to put him on the balance bike...there is just something about this that doesnt seem right!

Bodie on Bryson's Razor




Bodie on the Balance Bike