Dude Date!

Caden's dad here...yes, shocking I know. This is my first blog since November 2008 when I first blogged about my travels to Seattle and running the San Antonio half-marathon. Based on the blog below, I felt it necessary for me to report the events of the day around the Cox house.

So this weekend has been circled on the calendar for a few weeks now...not because there was some big event or vacation for us to attend, but for the fact that we had NOTHING to do or NOWHERE to be. Since the past 6 weeks have been non-stop excitement for us, we were all very anxious to have a Cox family weekend around the Rock.

Earlier this week, I realized that Caden and I hadn't had any dude time in a while, so I told Katie that Saturday would be "Dude Day" and she could go do whatever she wanted....didn't matter what she did, she just couldn't be with us dudes! Poor Katie...she was so sad, her boys gave her the boot and told her to go away...it was out of love, of course. Once she figured out what she wanted to do, she was also very excited for the weekend.

Katie decided to go to the 10:30 showing of Eat, Pray, Love in Georgetown. Now, in normal towns, you would think a theatre at 10:30 in the morning would be a ghost-town. Well, that was certainly not the case for Katie....oh no, not in Georgetown. For those that don't know, G-town is home to waaayyyy too many grey-hairs. G-town is the #1 retirement spot in the US and you can't go anywhere without running into someone over the age of 65. The grey-hairs are all over the place! So at 10:30 on Saturday morning in the G-town theatre, it was almost a full-house! They can't resist going to the early movie so they can get the early bird rate...also so that they don't interrupt their afternoon nap time.

Okay....enough about Katie and her solo movie date where she was the only one who was born on this side of 1950....on to the good stuff...dude day!

First stop....gas station and dude car wash. Mommy's car hadn't had a bath in a couple of weeks so the Chade and I decided to top Tilly off with some gasoline and a good 'ol fashioned rinse. Caden loves the car wash at Exxon next to Teravista...it's one of the long ones with the colorful foam and you get to stay in the car. He always watches out the window and points.

Here we are entering the wash...


Here's the Chade pointing at the big brush as it goes down the side of Tilly.



Next stop...Red Box. As Katie has mentioned before...we love Red Box. It's always a great go-to for a date night once the Chade is in bed and a glass of wine in hand. This week's flick....When In Rome...nothing like a good rom-com to watch with the wifey!

Next stop...Quenan's jewelry store on the square in G-town. My watch battery died a few weeks ago and it was time to be replaced.

Up next....daddy's office. I had a little work that I was not able to get done last night due to a server re-boot. We were there about 45 minutes. The first 30 were great...very productive and Chade entertained himself with random things in my office. The last 15...well that's another story. I'm kind of concerned with the quality of work that was done in that last stretch due to Caden being sooo ready to go. Oh well, if I missed something....I'll blame it on Caden...Jimmy can't get mad at him, right?!

Chade wanted to review some of my budgets to make sure I wasn't missing anything....

Now to the most important stop of the day....lunch! On the menu...dude nuggets and dude fries and Chick-fil-a! Caden loves dude nuggets and dude fries....and the best part....the ketchup to dip them in!

Notice the Rangers jersey the Chade is sportin'...one of the guys behind the counter asked if I saw the game last night and we talked about how AWESOME they are playing right now! If you haven't been watching...it's never too late....they are playing great baseball and Josh Hamilton is the best player in the league right now.

Okay, I'm off my Rangers soap-box...on with the rest of dude day.

After lunch...onto the ultimate dude store...Academy! We were in search of a new Cowboys jersey for the upcoming season! Can I get a whoo whoo for football season being just a few short weeks away?! Whoo whoo!! Last year, Chade wore his Romo onesie every Sunday and brought great luck to the 'Boys. Although they didn't make it to the Super Bowl last year....it was great to see them take the step of winning a playoff game. This year looks even more promising....with the exciting possibility of playing a "home game" for the Super Bowl at Jerry World. We had no luck finding the Chade a jersey for the year....but we'll find one soon elsewhere.

Last stop....Starbucks! Caden had been such a good boy and great helper today...I wanted to get him a treat to end our dude date! The Chade loves coffee in the morning, so I figured it was time to introduce him to dad's favorite frappuccino...java chip! And to no surprise....the Chade loved it! We downed us a tall frap before heading back to the house!

Oh yeah....can't forget about the chocolate chunk cookie we had as well....

So there you have it....our dude date was over! What a blast we had this morning....without mommy. I do have to say....when we walked out the door, Katie was still in the kitchen and Caden cried when he realized he was leaving her. BUT, he immediately stopped once the car was moving and I turned on his tunes.

Now I must get the chicken on the grill....open the wine....eat family dinner...and then movie date night on the couch with the wifey!!

Great day in the Rock with the Cox boy's! Hope everyone had a great Saturday!

I'd Marry Them If I Could...

Yes, that's right... you two fine pieces of cleaning specimen, I'd marry you BOTH if I could. Perhaps I should move to Utah and join a polygamist group so that I can. It might be worth it! If I could take Caden of course... and Justin too. Yes, I do believe I'd marry you... BOTH!

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Mop how I love thee so! You first delighted me with your magic eraser splendor in college when I was forced to clean a year's worth of grime off of every surface in my apartment each May. You were daring and dashing, no job or stain or scuff was EVER too much for you. I carried you on into my marriage. I've used you countless times, until you wither so delicately in my hands. Recently, I've used you throughout my house to de-kid and de-dog our tile floors and you have proven once again to be faithful to the dirt and grime but not quite so to my aching back and ailing knees... oh how I longed for you in mop form! To stand and scrub the floors with your power... twas the dream!!

And you, you sweet, bald man...the King of Clean, you did it! You fulfilled all of my hopes and dreams last week when walking down the cleaning isle at HEB I saw you... it was love at first sight (again!). I held you in my arms, hugged you and placed you gently atop my basket, yearning for the moment when I would dip you in water, squeeze you tenderly and dance you gracefully across my floors!! What joy, what bliss!!

And you... you big group of hard workin', scrubbin' bubbles! Y'all are just too much! Had I known of your tenacity I would have excepted a date with you MUCH sooner. But alas, my fair friends and fellow mommies were holding out their one true love in hopes of keeping you all to themselves, but after one look at your bright green can and the determination in your sweet but sincere scrubbin' bubble face I knew I had to take the chance! For love...

And as luck would have it I. am. in. LOVE. with. you, my scrubbin' bubbles... all of you! You do all the work so I don't have to... it is true, it really is. You are bubbles of your word and you do such a fine job! I am so thankful for your robust passion for the clean, spic and span. You had me at first scrub!

Shiny and new, everything looks so beautiful. From the kitchen sink to my toothbrush holder... you have surpassed greatness! If I did have one thing to offer in way of constructive criticism (you forget that I am a woman) I would dare say that your smell has room for improvement. Of course, when I think it through I realize that it's hard to smell like anything but burnt rubber when you are working your little scrubbers to the nubs! Forget I said anything at all dear bubbles, your disdainful smell can never change the way I feel about the overall satisfaction and pleasure you give me when all of your work is said and done.

OH Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Mop and Dearest Scrubbin' Bubbles, THANK YOU for your dutiful service to me this week. I pray that you may bless the homes of those who read this blog and that they too, will feel the overwhelming compulsion to write their own love letters to you, for you both are worthy of praise!

All my love,
A sincerely happy housewife

Last Summer Vaca: The Frio

LONG POST AGAIN! VIDEO CLIP AT THE BOTTOM... Don't Miss 'Em!

And PLEASE disregard the HORRIBLE spacing issues... not sure what's going on!

My goodness! I cannot believe that it is August 11th! Happy Birthday Meli P!!

At the beginning of the summer it seemed as though it would take an eternity for our August vacation to get here, BUT alas, it came, it triumphed, it ended! :(

Last Thursday we headed a bit south and a lot West to the Frio River. KK and Albi put Aunt Ermie and Uncle Sporady (both nicknames to be explained later) and the Cox Fam up for a week in this... ...spectacular home appropriately named "Bella Vista" in ConCan, TX! Ever been to ConCan?! Yah, us either, but it was a sweet little secret that we found to be quite delightful! I know you won't believe it but despite the 100+ degree weather we spent the ENTIRE week outside. I guess going that much further west and being the ONLY house on top of a "mini-mountain" were a deadly combo where the heat was concerned... there were very few times when we ever had to retreat inside because of the heat. Our days were spent by the pool, in the pool or up under the protection of a lovely shade porch! It was PERFECT!

When we got there on Thursday, we did a little unpacking and then it was STRAIGHT to the pool! Poor Caden hadn't been swimming in nearly two weeks and was READY! Thankfully, he was feeling and acting just like the old Chade again so he was ready to PAR-TAY!

After swimming we had the munchies so we broke out some of Aunt Ermie's corn dip and went to town! Caden always seems to find his Aunts to be particularly giving when it comes to food. I think I remember a similar pic with Aunt Ree Ree in Port A! He's got this Aunt thing figured out!

When we took off Caden's rash guard after the pool it gave him quite the impressive new look! Spikey Cox! What do you think?!

Friday was RIVER DAY! Chade and I stayed behind at the house and had a SUPER fun morning hangin' by the pool, but the other crazy kiddos headed out to FLOAT THE FRIO! My super smart and savvy hubbie decided to get a waterproof camera to take some pics of their journey!

Albi and KK...

Justin and Aunt Ermie... (I know it's killin' you... I'm getting there... Ermie and Sporady will be explained!)

KK cheersin' the camera with her Ozarka bottle! :)

Albi looking ahead for any rapids...

The Frio... beautiful!

All tied up with the important stuff in the middle...

Justin wanted to be sure he was in a pic... nice feet! I guess he didn't realize that he had several beer-crotch shots to choose from! :)

After the floaters got back from a long day on the river they decided that it was definitely the perfect night for a steak! SO after Chade went down for the evening we fired up the grill and put the rice casserole and olive bread in the oven and ATE! KK also made a yummy salad... we were pretty impressed with our spread so KK wanted to be sure we got pics...

NOTHING BETTER than dining outdoors... especially when this is your view! Bella Vista!

Steak and vino... YUMM-O! The steaks were SO good! I think I finished mine in about 5 minutes... all 8 ounces of it! Yep! That's right!

Are you hungry yet?! Because I am!

Another shot of our view...

On Saturday the boys played golf and the girls and Chade did a lot of this...

Caden swam more in the week we were there than he ever has! We swam morning, noon and night and LOVED every minute of it. You don't realize how great it is to just walk out your backdoor and take a dip until you have the opportunity! It is awesome!!

Sunday we headed back to the Frio, but this time Chade and I got to tag-along! We didn't float but we found a nice spot to hang out for a few hours! Caden LOVED the river. He favorite thing was throwing rocks with Aunt Ermie... okay are you ready?

So Caden and Aunt Ermie were doing some serious bonding in the river. She would collect rocks and then he would throw them and then they'd repeat! So we were all hanging in the river and I thought hmmmm Aunt Emmie sure isn't sticking, but maybe Aunt Roxy would since she and Caden are bonding over rocks. Aunt Ermie said that she would go by anything, but she's really only had one nickname in her life and that was Ermie. Her brothers called her that when she was little and it kind of stuck. With this new information it was a little HARD to pass up such an opportunity... Aunt Ermie... are you kidding?! It doesn't get much better than that! So we're givin' it a go... what do y'all think?

So Aunt Ermie it was and is! At least for now! :)

There is nothing like nature to inspire the greatest ideas. So while we were still laughing about Aunt Ermie's new name and the beauty of the Frio... look how clear it is... we decided that Uncle Josh needed a new name too... so I came up with Uncle Sporady. You see, Uncle Sporady has a little bit of a chest hair issue... it's growing a bit sporadic in his old age and on the first day we got there and we were swimming I called him Sporada-Hair because I am his older sister and this is what I'm supposed to do... we all giggled and had a great laugh at his expense. So when Aunt Ermie came along it was pretty clear that Uncle Josh would be Uncle Sporady... Uncle Sporada-Hair is just a bit much...

And there you have it... the evolution of Aunt Ermie and Uncle Sporady! Like 'em?!

Our time at the river was peaceful and lovely. The river is gorgeous and it certainly does not get its' name by chance. The Frio is as its' name boasts... a very refreshing shade of cool! :)

After a few hours at the river we went to the ConCan Country Club, where the boys played golf the day before, to have lunch. They RAVED about their hot dogs served on a sourdough buns so we knew that the hamburgers wouldn't dare disappoint and they didn't! Best burger I've had in a long time... and onion rings, OH MY-LANTA! SO good! And SO tasted them the rest of the day... but worth it! For sure!

Lunch on the porch... not hot... SO nice!

We were all a bit enchanted by the gazebo and table for four under it's shade outside of the main dining porch. It was pretty, but we couldn't quite figure its purpose, so we settled on weddings... in ConCan... it's the HOT SPOT for weddings!

The rest of our trip was spent being SUPER lazy and it was JUST what we all needed before we headed back home to face the crazy weeks that lie ahead of us... at least for all of the workin' folk! Caden and I came back to a dirty house but other than that we are pretty much business as usual! :)

Caden did some amazing things while we were at the Frio... perhaps he TOO was inspired by God's beautiful design and decided to do and say a few new things:

He learned to SWIM! With his floaties! Before this week he has been wearing his floaties but has not been able to support himself without my help. One week at the pool and DONE! He started jumping (belly flopping) off the side too. He is FEARLESS when it comes to the water but not so much when it comes to pool floats! He is scared to death of pool mats, tubes, etc. As long as he's got his floaties... he's king of the pool!

Look Mom no hands!!

SPLASH!!!

Ready to jump! As soon as he'd come up he'd say "GIN" or again! :)

He also started saying "ice" with a very long "ssssss" at the end and he said "pool" and has continued to say BOTH since we've been home. He was a jabber box all week... coming up with new words (not quite ones we understand) but then some that we were like YEP, he just said Ice! The doctor said his speech would start taking off and BOY has it! I can't imagine what it will be like when he get tubes! Watch out world... he's gonna be on fire!

Caden likes an audience of course, so it was the BEST THING EVER to have so many people to show off for each night as he took his last dip in the pool!

Uncle Sporady and Albi!

My little water dog...

Aunt Ermie and Uncle Sporady... so cute, so cute!

Aunt Ermie giving Caden "ninja kisses." This is something new that Aunt Ermie started the last few times we've seen her but having a whole week with her gave Caden an entirely new appreciation for the art of "ninja kissing." Aunt Ermie acts like a ninja and sneaks up on him when he least expects it. Sometimes she'll give him a warning-pucker and even a BIG smack of her lips to let him know she's on the pursuit, but there is NO running where Aunt Ermie is concerned or at least he hasn't learned to do this YET, but he will! So she's sweeps in and GETS him! AND HE LOVES IT! He gets the biggest cheesiest grin! SO FUNNY!

SHE GOT 'EM!! Eat your heart out Uncle Sporady! Uncle Sporady is actually pronounced Sprady, just so we're clear... Spor-ady would be a mouthful still! But Sprady works!

WHAT A VACA! It was SO FUN and super relaxing! The Evans Fam always knows how to relax... and it's a good thing because I think we all needed a bit of R&R!

Thanks KK and Albi... y'all are the best! We appreciate you spoiling us so! Where are we headed next year??!! :) We love you!!

NOW...for a few video clip of our little swimmer!! Enjoy!! Happy Swimming!

A Two-for: 18 & 19 Months!

WARNING: VERY LONG POST!! For the bored, not for the busy! :) Enjoy!

For those of you who know my normal bloggin' routine, you know that I am WAY BEHIND on Caden's monthly posts! Like TWO MONTHS behind...eek! July came and went in such a flurry that it became clear that his 18 Month post was most assuredly going to have to join his 19 Month post. It's a two-for-one kind of deal and who can ever pass up a two-for?! I know, I can't! :) Especially a "two-for" about this sweet little face...

Since we've got a lot of ground to cover and since I don't want to miss a THING... because you know eventually I'll get caught up on getting my entries turned into a book... EVENTUALLY! Until then let's just all pray that the world wide web doesn't up and crash on us! :)

To make sure I catch it all, I'm going to be SUPER generic and break it down into categories...creativity is just going to have to take a back seat for this one! I haven't added this much detail is several months... so brace yourselves this could be a doozy!! Feel free to move on to the pictures...the details are more for me!

Caden's Stats:

We still haven't made it to our 18 month well check... that's tomorrow, but as you know we've been to the doctor a few times lately so I know the weight... I'll have to update his length tomorrow afternoon!

Weight: 30 lbs and some change
Height: TBA
Tooth Count: 12 (just had a new one pop through last night!) He has his top four, bottom four and two molars on both top and bottom.
Head Circumference: BIG! :)

Caden's Overall Health:

Caden has had a rough summer, he's getting over his 2nd ear infection that he got from the croup's left-over yumminess. Last week, when he had the croup he ran a fever for 5 days straight, longest ever. It was the first of hopefully not too many times when he was REALLY sick. BUT coming out on the other side feels great... a mommy and Caden milestone for sure!

In between our sick visits to the pedi, Caden had to visit the dentist after a cracked tooth twice in the past two months, both times he cried! A lot! And he also had to visit the ENT to discuss the fluid in his ears. We discussed the possibility of tubes to relieve the fluid and help Caden hear better which will likely help his speech catch up. He is very VERBAL but only has a few words we understand and even those words are said "incorrectly." The doctor told us, Caden is walking around with his thumbs sticking in his ears... or at least that is how well he is able to hear! When he gave us that analogy it was hard to not strongly consider the option of putting tubes in his ears. AND with two ear infections this summer, outside of the normal cold and flu season, we are almost 100% sure that we'll be headed for tubes late this summer or early fall.

We have been VERY fortunate overall with our little man... he's been a healthy, active kid and for that we are VERY grateful. The blessing of a healthy kid is certainly not lost on us!

Caden's Eating Habits:

So obviously you don't get to be 30 lbs by being picky, but Caden definitely has some strong preferences for certain foods. He isn't much into veggies BUT loves fruit, so I'm picking my battles wisely over the veggies. He is starting to eat pretty much anything we eat. In the past few months he has tried several new foods and loves them all:

spaghetti
chicken enchiladas
muffins
m&ms
chicken fried rice
chips and salsa (we've upgraded from queso and guac to straight up salsa!!)

His favorite foods are most definitely bean and cheese burritos/quesadillas, bananas and goldfish but he's added some new favorites this summer: french fries, strawberries, chex mix, and of course popsicles.

His favorite places to eat are:

Gloria's for the black bean dip alone
Mighty Fine Burgers for the fries
Taco Bueno (because he is his Momma's child!! Party burrito, anyone?!)

His favorite drink is still water and he drinks that most of the day. Occasionally, like when we go out or he is sick and won't drink anything else he drinks Sprite and LOVES it. We always know when it is a good one because his eyes will start watering! Hilarious! He likes the burn! AND you all know how much he loves his coffee! I've finally given up and fix him 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup coffee every morning! AND he loves me for it! :)

Caden's Sleeping Habits:

He's a champ when it comes to sleeping! All of that hard work when he was 4 months old has surely paid off when it comes to nap times. He is a "one-napper" now and has been for several months. Most days he gets in a 2+ hour nap, but more often than not he stretches it to 3 hours. He goes down between 12:30 and 1:00 most days.

Caden is still an early bedtime guy which is fine by Justin and I because it gives us a little mini-date night each and every night. He is usually in bed between 7:30 and 8:00 each night, of course his nighttime dude routine starts anywhere between 7:00 and 7:30. Most mornings, he wakes up between 7:00 and 7:30, although occasionally he lays and plays until 8:00.

Playing Around the House:

Caden is always on the go! He is up and around finding new and fun things to do all the time. He is VERY into videos, but mainly enjoys them for the background noise. In between his playing he will pause and stand in front of the TV and then move on to the next thing.

He still loves playing with balls... all of them: basketballs, footballs, soccer ball, playground balls. He loves his broom and his garden tools. He has just started rolling his cars and trucks around the house, although this typically doesn't keep his interest for long. He loves being destructive, pulling toys out of toy chest, off of shelves, etc. At the end of the day the house can be a bit scary. A lot of times I pick up while he's napping so he can have a fresh start!

KK and Albi recently bought him some cookware at IKEA and he really LOVES that. He is always fascinated with the kitchens in his girlfriend's rooms and of course at church. SO I'm pretty sure finding a boy kitchen might be in our future. :)

He LOVES to wrestle and play on the floor and on the couch with both Justin and I. He and Justin are much rougher when they wrestle and Caden and I are more snuggly, although there are times when he forgets who he's playing with and gets a bit aggressive! I've had my fair share of "ouch" moments! :) We'll talk about this more under the discipline category! Ha!

Caden is VERY interested in shoes! He loves trying on all of the shoes that we leave by the stairs to take up. He especially LOVES when Daddy comes home from work and takes off his boots. He sits on the stairs and tries to put them on for several minutes before we help him out. His boots are TOO heavy for Caden to walk around his just yet, but BOY does he try! He can't even take ONE step! Haha!!

He loves stickers and is starting to like to color, although actually he just likes crayons... pulling them our of the bag and throwing them around the room, or chewing on them! :) But we're working on it! I hope he likes to color one day because I LOVE it! :)

Caden's Words:

Like I mentioned before, Caden is VERY verbal and ALWAYS has something to say, but we only have a few words that we can make out. His favorite words are, "yah" and "uh-oh" and last week when he was sick he learned to say "no" but it actually sounds like "dough." Nothing like feeling TERRIBLE to make those verbal skills come to life! Are you okay, Caden? "DOUGH!" Poor, sweet boy! Learning to say no has helped some with our communication, and we are just starting to experience the "talking back" side of the word "no" too! And I know there will be MORE where that came from! :)

Other words are:

"hello" which sounds like "ho"
"ball" which sounds like "bawl"
"bowl" which sounds like "bo-al"
"over there" which sounds like "ober der"
"outside" which sounds like "sigh"
"I don't know" which is just sounds "ah, ah, ah" with the same intonation and inflection as we would say, "I don't know!" :)
"bicycle" which sounds like "bi-yowl"
"popsicle" which sounds like "pa-pa"

He has a few random words here and there that we think, "did he just say bear?" but for the most part he's limited to lots of mumbles and babbles with the words above sprinkled in! :) Hopefully, once we get those ears cleared out he'll be able to hear better and start to pick up a few more words! Until then, we'll just giggle while we try to decipher his sweet little Caden-language! He is NOT afraid to use his pointer figure to help us figure it out! He is a pointing-expert and can double-point when he needs emphasis!

Caden's Favorites:

SONGS TO SING/LISTEN TO:


Caden LOVES music! He loves to listen to his music in the car and we can rarely keep him happy without it! During long trips we use our DVD player but for around town we be-bop to the musical stylings of the Cedarmont Kids! We know all three CDs by heart!! ALL of them! :) We gotta get some new tunes!!

His favorite songs to sing are:

The Wheels On the Bus (he can now do the motions!! SO SO SO CUTE!! Especially when he does the "people on the bus go up and down" in his car seat! Hilarious!)
The Animal Fair
Boom, Boom Ain't It Great to Be Crazy
ALL of his church songs: Our God is Great, What a Mighty God We Serve, Praise Ye the Lord, The Lord's Army, The Bubble Song, Jump Into the Light, He's Got the Whole World In His Hands, God Loves You, The Happy Song, etc.)

Last week when we had to sit in the bathroom with the steamy shower going we sang those songs over and over again. He tells us which song he wants to sing by doing the hand motions that go with that particular song. Sometimes it is very hard to tell which one he wants so we just start singing the one we think it is, but now since he knows how to say "dough" he lets us know when we've guessed wrong! We were cracking up the other night because we kept guessing wrong and then finally we guessed right!! We were so excited! He is VERY sure of what songs he wants to sing and when!

And he likes to sing the songs we're learning from Yo Gabba Gabba!



Caden's Favorite Videos and TV:


Speaking of Yo Gabba Gabba... we are SO grateful to DJ Lance for entertaining our lil man enough to help him like something besides the ONE Wiggles DVD we own and our Praise Baby videos. Poor thing is SO a creature of habit and we are SO excited that he likes Yo Gabba Gabba enough to watch it occasionally. He really likes to watch it with me so I can help him do all of the stuff they do on TV, especially during Dancey-Dance!! His favorite Dancey-Dances are the Twirly-Whirly and the Disco Roll! I must admit... I'm kind of loving our new friends from Gabbaland... they are pretty fun!! :)



Caden's Favorite Books:


CADEN loves books! Last week we did LOTS of reading on the couch! It was really, sweet and fun until he insisted that I read the SAME THREE BOOKS over and over again!! They must be his feel good books!! OH MY GOODNESS though... I seriously think we read each one at least 20 times a day... at least!! :) I love reading, but I was really ready to switch it up!


His "sick books" are:


What Color Are Your Underwear?
Baby, I Love You So Much
The Very Lonely Firefly



Other favorites:


Bad Dog Marley (LOVES this book)
Goodnight Gorilla
I Love You So
Green Eggs and Ham
Hop on Pop
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Recent Library Favs:

Bark Park
Hurry, Hurry

Caden's Friends and Family:

Caden is blessed with TWO sets of excellently loving and super fun grandparents. He has two sets of young and hip aunts and uncles and lots of extended family members including 2nd cousins, great aunts, and great grandparents who love him to the moon and back! He is certainly not short on the family love! AND he loves them all back ten-fold! He is a HUGE fan of the grandparents... they're definitely the favs after his Mommy and Daddy of course! He certainly knows Nana and Paps and KK and Albi by name and gets excited when we mention their names! He loves to look at pictures of them and gets the biggest smile on his face when he sees them!

His Mommy and Daddy are of course his favorite two people on earth! Duh! :) He has been really funny about wanting to look at our wedding album lately... he points and waits for me to tell him who everyone is! It's one of his favorite games! He is definitely a Momma's boy, full of hugs and kisses and all sorts of special loving for me, BUT boy does he really love his Daddy! There is a whole different side of Caden that comes out when Justin is home... he loves to show-off and horse-around with his Daddy! Those dudes have A LOT of fun and nothing makes my heart happier than watching them in action, especially when they wrestle! :)

As far as friends are concerned Caden LOVES being around other kids! He is especially intrigued by older kids. He is super friendly and is not afraid to approach other kids at the pool and park. A few weeks ago, in fact he was VERY intrigued by a little boy at the pool who was 4. He was super sweet to Caden and would wave at Caden when Caden would wave at him, etc. After a while of this back and forth, Caden had finally had enough and walked over to him and gave him a hug. The poor kid was a little caught off guard, but he was really sweet and returned the gesture! It was a super sweet moment between pool buddies! :)

Even though he has several friends that he loves, I think his friend-heart belongs to Ava! She's his bestie! He gets super excited when we mention her name and definitely misses her when we don't get to see her!

Oh, the Places Caden Goes:

Caden's favorite place to go is HEB! He says, "ooooooo" when we drive past and gets super excited when we pull into the parking lot. He loves free cookies and certainly loves the free balloons and the last two times we've been Caden has also scored HEB swag from one of his favorite HEB employees! :) She and Caden are buds!

Second favorite place: the POOL! Again, he "ooooooo's" when we drive by and is sad we he picks up his bathing suit and I say "no!" Being sick in the summer is a total bummer for Caden! He wants to go to the pool every day! :) He is VERY brave in the water but is not able to support himself with floaties yet, but that doesn't seem to stop his fun! He's getting better and better at jumping in off the side and loves to walks on his hands in the shallow, shallow swim deck area at one of our neighborhood pools! He loves to explore the areas around the pool and of course is always ready for a dude snack, poolside! Overall, going to the pool for Caden is an experience, one to be savored and enjoyed! :)

Caden and I go to the library at least once a week to swap our books/videos in and out. Since it's summer we aren't going to church during the week for Bible study which leaves us at Sundays. He loves going to church and has been blessed with a GREAT team of nursery workers who love and spoil him to pieces, especially those first hour workers! ;) For now our separation anxiety is minimal if at all, but I know that it can continue to get worse/better for the next several years! We're praying that he continues to be excited about going to church!

In the last two months Caden has been to: Abilene, San Antonio, Waco, Port Aransas, Possum Kingdom and this week we'll be heading to Concan on the Frio! :)

Caden's Chores:

Caden has become a GREAT helper! He still feeds the dogs every night and picks up their bowls when they are finished. He LOVES to pick up trash and take it to the trash can. He is great at cleaning our the lint drawer in the dryer and is super helpful in loading the washer. Sweeping, mopping and vacuuming are still right up his alley and he has even taken a liking to scrubbing the toilets! Okay so not really on the toilet thing but I bought a new toilet brush the other day and he thought that was the COOLEST thing he'd ever seen! Ha! Too bad I had to use it... no more fun for Caden! :)

Disciplining Caden:

Overall Caden is a pretty good kiddo, but like everyone he has his hot buttons! He is definitely becoming more toddler-like by the day. He has a problem with hitting, kicking, stomping-on and even biting when he gets frustrated or too fired up. We are working on this and have found that time out isn't the best solution for this type of thing. A good old fashioned stern voice, grab him by the arms talkin' to seems to be doing the trick most of the time, but he is definitely keeping me on my toes in the discipline department. I always have to be one step ahead of him and I'll admit there are times that he wins! Daddy and I have a few other tricks up our sleeve so watch out Chade! (Or at least we are telling ourselves this!)

He is definitely the type of kid to push the limits and certainly does lots of things throughout the day that require a no or stop, but the hitting, biting, kicking, stomping-on thing is our biggest battle right now. I pick my battles and this one is definitely an important one to fight! :)

Caden's Personality:

Caden is a character! He is constantly entertaining us and is pretty darn good at it! He loves to dance and be silly when people are watching! He also loves putting on a show with his basketball hoop! He loves people and is outgoing most of the time. He still has moments where he puts on the shy face, but it doesn't last long. He is SUPER DUPER tenderhearted and can be very sensitive at times. He is sweet and loving and is very affectionate. He is stubborn and energetic and often doesn't take no for an answer nor does he obey the word "no" on the first, second or even third commands! :) He loves to laugh, especially if the joke's on him! He's a TON OF FUN and a great guy to spend my days with! :)

And I think I'm done! All out of categories... although I am sure I could come up with a few more! :)

I love this little guy to the moon and back and feel so very fortunate to get to spend all of my time with him. I love my job as his Mommy! I often get overwhelmed by HOW much I love him and enjoy being his Mommy. And I may or may not be known to have all out cry-fests (with the ugly cry face!)where I say things like, "I just love him SOOO much! It hurts! It really does! Oh it's so hard to love him SO much!" Hahaha, kind of embarrassing BUT that's what he does to me... that's what all kids do to their parents! It's hard, I tell ya... this much love hurts! :) Caden makes motherhood feel pretty darn special! What a blessing children are to their parents! :)

Happy 18 and 19 Months Cade-man! I love you!!

(Pictures were taken today in a little at home photo-shoot!)