Derek has been working on some performance evaluations for work and, just now when he hit save, he lost everything he’d been typing for, well, quite a while. He was not exactly happy but Trevor just looked at him, shrugged his shoulders, and very seriously said: Sometimes you lose, Daddy, and sometimes you win.
We had to chuckle but were a little astounded by the depth of wisdom he has accrued from his three years of life experiences.
We went up to Derek’s parents’ place for cattle branding. Trevor enjoyed watching the bovine “rites of passage” and the opportunity to ride Aunt Tamra’s horse, Kate. The kids enjoyed a wagon ride, courtesy of Uncle Kolby, and Charity enjoyed the continuation of that ride, courtesy of Trevor and Owen. She really is a princess.
She also felt like hot stuff sitting way up high in Grandpa’s new tractor.
Derek’s parents and siblings were all in town so his parents treated us to a yummy birthday dinner. And afterwards Trevor treated us to some awesome cheesecake.
He’s getting to be so good that the following weekend Aunt Ana enlisted his help in making a strawberry cheesecake for a family Easter get-together. He has a future as a “cooker,” as he calls himself.
Trevor seized the opportunity, once again, to sing to Daddy.
And then was more than willing to help him blow out the candles.
To end the evening, the three cuz’s had fun riding Uncle Kolby/Dad. The HUGE smiles say it all.
Today is Daddy-O’s birthday. Trevor, Charity and I colored pictures for him yesterday and left them by his coffeepot this morning. Trevor woke up just as Derek was leaving for work so he got a couple of early morning birthday hugs and wishes, too. Trevor made very sure to tell him who colored which pictures, in case Daddy couldn’t tell.
Trevor was just pumped all day about celebrating Derek’s birthday. At one point in the afternoon, following some accomplishment, I sang “Go Trevor, go Trevor, it’s your birthday,” while he laughed and immediately corrected me, “No mommy, it’s, go Trevor, go Trevor, it’s Daddy’s birthday.”
Trevor had decided we should make Derek a strawberry cheesecake. I found two recipes and gave Trevor the choice of a swirly strawberry cheesecake or one with strawberries on top. I thought for sure he’d choose “swirly” but he wanted one with strawberries on top, so we set out to make it together. Things tend to get a little messier and take a little longer, but it’s fun to have help in the kitchen. Then we made one of Daddy’s favorite meals–gumbo–and had a nice dinner on the back patio.
We have also been meaning to take some shots of the kids in front of our tulips while they are still absolutely gorgeous (the tulips, not the kids–the kiddos will be gorgeous forever), so decided birthday pics with Daddy was the perfect opportunity.
Had to throw in a couple belly shots. 32 weeks and 4 days.
Trev looks like he’s having a convo with baby elephant but I think he’s actually preparing to head butt my belly.
The cheesecake is for this weekend with Derek’s family, so we lit up a delicious pistachio dessert that my Grandma K. dropped off for Derek (and co., it’s certainly one of my faves). I almost forgot to sing but Trevor started right in with version 2 of 3 of “Happy Birthday.” Derek was serenaded on the phone earlier and once more before bed.
Somehow, Derek managed to extinguish all 31 of his candles in one breath. I hope you had a great birthday, honey. We sure enjoyed spending it with you.
Occasionally, without checking the weather report or even opening the back door, Derek looks outside and says wow, it’s beautiful, let’s make sure we get the kids out there today. And then we bundle up and get out there and freeze our tushies off. I think this was borderline one of those days. Enough time outdoors to get a little fresh air and have a little fun, but lasting just long enough to take a few pictures.
Derek picked this kit up after the holidays. Sometimes I can’t help but wonder which of my boys has more fun with this sort of thing.
Derek put all the icing on and helped with the general raising of the building, but, without any guidance whatsoever, Trevor decided where each piece of candy would go and carefully placed it (quite often right into his mouth).
Sometimes hard work calls for a little snack break.
Charity enjoyed the leftover spoils.
The finished product.
So I felt this baby way earlier than my past two. First flutters at thirteen weeks (I think I posted this somewhere already so I won’t say anything else). Saturday night, at seventeen (almost eighteen) weeks Derek got to feel baby for the first time. I know that always makes the pregnancy feel more real to him and gives him a deeper connection with the baby.
Trevor has this thing with counting. If he’s just counting out loud, he can make it into his teens. If he’s counting something, he does alright if he can make it past five. For some reason, he gets hung up there and starts making up numbers. It goes something like one, two, three, four, six, eleventeen… If we correct him around five, he’ll take off and do pretty well from there. Kids’ minds are funny little things.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with Derek’s side the weekend before. His brother and sister and their families were all able to make it. Charity proved to not be one for watching football.
On Sunday afternoon, Trevor went out deer hunting with his daddy and grandpa. I’m surprised at how much he enjoyed it. When talking to him about it later that evening he explained, Daddy shot a deer. It was dead. And its tongue was like this.
And now, when you ask him what he’s going to do when he grows up he says, When I get big, I going to shoot a deer. Oh my, what have we created?
There were some cold and windy times but we were able to get the littles out there a couple of times for some fresh air. Both Owen and Charity really love pushing the little mower along.
I just love seeing her walk.
After a fun weekend with my dad (it had been a year since Trevor and Charity had seen him but they both took to him like crazy…we trunk or treated on Thursday…my dad and I hung out with his college buddies Friday night…and he and I went to the awesome Michigan State game on Saturday) we spent Sunday morning getting in a last dose of play time and then dropped him off at Eppley.
We then had Fayte’s Halloween party at my aunt and uncle’s place. My cousin Sarah puts it on every year and the kids have so much fun wrapping each other up as mummies, painting pumpkins and pinning the tail on the black cat. And, no, I don’t mean Charity, she already had a tail in just the right spot.
I don’t mean to sound batty, but, Hey, Trev, is that Daddy or Mummy?
All of my cousins and their kids were there so my aunt and uncle seized the opportunity for a shot with their grandkids and great niece and nephews. This is the best we could come up with.
Our family of bats and cats.
Baby Grinch cracked me up every time I looked at him–he was just so darn cute!
Hutton, the pig, before he lost his hooves.
A daddy bat with his cat.
We had some tired animals on the way home. So tired, they couldn’t even remember if they’d had any fun.
This was Charity’s first week of riding forward facing.
Touting the party loot, my vampire bat.
