Da Boyz

I sure do love my boys! Yes...that's all of them on Tucker's toddler bed, just hangin' out!

DOO DOO WEEEE!

So I decided since Tucker is improving drastically with correct word pronunciation, that I need to try and record all of his wonderful attempts at linguistic communication for the past few months before I forget them. I think my all-time favorite is his word for the playground/slide. We got a little tykes playground for the backyard a couple of months ago and Tucker loves it. When he'd go out to play he'd make the sound of him climbing the stairs by saying "doo doo doo doo" (saying each 'doo' one note higher than the next), then down the slide would be "WEEEEE". The result? He now asks, "Mama? Doodoowee Peese?" When he's really excited or in a hurry it's just "Doowee". He still says "keecoo" for cookie, "mam" for milk, and "bmm bmm" (closed mouth in tone of 'Thank You') for thank you. Tucker calls his brother Cooper "bmm-pa"...close, buddy. :) Water is "wallow", not to be confused with his good buddy Laurie...who somehow also became "wallow"....but he's improved on that one...now it's "wally" for Laurie. Whenever he hurts himself he'll come up to me and point "oweee" with a big pout. I'll kiss it and he'll say, "bebber?...ya." give me a big grin and run off. Whenever he asks for something with a one word demand I ask him, 'how do you ask?' He responds by cocking his head to one side, getting a cheesy grin and mumbling "da da da ____ peese"...I'm pretty sure the mumbled 'da da da' is "mommy, can I have some..." Ok, so as I write this I realize how far he still has to go to be somewhat coherent to anyone besides me! :) He'll go on these long tangents of rambles in which he always finds a way to fit in "almose" (which is still his word for ice cream, ice cream truck, and awesome...almost he actually pronounces with a 't'.) and "eight" and "thirteen" and "bye", sometimes he'll pronounce random letters or talk about his "tee-ar" (car). He'll count from one to ten...that's always entertaining. If he counts with him instigating it this is roughly how it goes..."one, two, eight, firteen, eight, firteen, eight, eight!" if I start with one, he'll usually follow with "two, free, bive, kicks, seben, eight, nine, ten, Firteen, eight, FIRTEEN!" :) (don't ask me what the obsession is about 8 and 13..and what happened to four?)
Good times. Love you Tuck!

Apparantly everyone's playing TAG!

So I've gotten a couple of tags, and since I have a little more free time on my hands, I'm going to fulfill them! :)

6 words that describe my life (Thanks Lis!):

1. Fulfilling
2. Euphoric
3. Peaceful (during quiet time, for two hours of church, and at night :)
4. Entertaining
5. Active
6. Incredible

nother tag...this time the rules are as follows (listing them does not necessarily mean I will follow them):

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write 6 random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let the person know you tagged them on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know when you've posted.

Ginny is the tagger on this one...thought I was done with her tagging me after I turned 12. Guess some things never change :)

6 random things about myself, in no particular order.

1. I had a bug collector as a child and would let daddy long legs crawl all over my hands and arms...for anyone who knows me now would think I'm lying through my teeth. Not sure what traumatic thing happened, but now I see the tiniest little spider and I freak...I mean FREAK.

2. I can pop my shoulder bones out of my back (my scapula...for Rudy) and flap them like a chicken.

3. I LOVE having time to myself doing mundane things like mowing lawns or weeding. I enjoy thinking about everything and nothing and seeing the progress I make in whatever chore I'm doing.

4. I truly believe that everything in life happens for a reason. Lots of people think some things just happen, but I don't believe that. I feel like God is over everything and even the little things that don't seem to matter or make sense I believe He's set in place for one reason or another.

5. I gave birth naturally, don't remember the last time I cried because of pain, and feel like I'm a pretty tough chicka...except when it comes to any pain from a dentist or OB checkup, I'm a total WIMP!....guess I don't like the idea of a doctor inside any bodily cavity (too much information? I think so! Sorry! :) (ironic about the dentist, no?)

6. I love dissonance. I could listen to music with dissonance forever. I love creating harmony with music, especially when it's complex and close together.

There...and with how random I am, I could DEFINITELY keep going...but I'll spare you.

Tag 6 other people?
uhh...anyone who wants to! :) You're it!

A new outlook on Barney

So all I really remember of Barney growing up is being waaay too cool for him and having all the boys in my class make fun of how 'gay' he is and mocking the 'I Love You' song. I remember rolling my eyes whenever I heard it and even as a parent secretly hoping my son never got into Barney. Well, I've turned a new leaf. We went with the Ruckers to go see Barney at the Children's Museum. Tucker didn't really know who he was , but I figured he'd love it and Kylea really likes Barney...and Tucker really likes Kylea, so it was a win-win. :) Thanks Ruckers for introducing Tucker to Barney! :) It was fun and Tucker really got into the songs and actions and everything. But the best experience was at the end when they sang the "I Love You" song. They started singing and as cheesy as this sounds, you could really feel the love in the room. It was fascinating to watch Tucker go from jumping around and being crazy to looking at Rudy and going and giving him a hug. The hug lasted all song and he kept kissing his cheek throughout it. That reaction wasn't instigated by us...he just did it. I looked around the room to see parents hugging their kids, kids hugging other kids...it was AWESOME! :) As cheesy and 'gay' as he may have seemed to have been when I was a tween, I really got to see the values and good things the big purple dinosaur could teach. Although that may be cheesy in it's own right, I'm now a fan of Barney! :) Random photoshop pic of Tucker and Cooper (since I couldn't get them together in a picture both happy...I cheated :)


Kylea and Tucker at the Children's Museum
Is that water sanitary? It looks questionable to me!

All glued to Barney's dancing

I love you, you love me...


Daddy and Tuck playing...they sure are good friends!Hangin outside, drinkin some high quality H2O

more good times with KyleaThanks for being such good buds Ruckers!

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities

Mini Cooper and Tucker Sedan

So apparently we named both of our children after cars! Two good looking cars, if you ask me! ;) Life is good as far as new babies go. Cooper has been such a blessing! I was worried after having a good baby the first time around that I'd have a Colicky baby or one that struggled with sleeping or something. Well...not so much. As of a week ago he officially started sleeping through the night. At a month old sleeping from 11-7:30??? Who does that?! And literally from the day we brought him home from the hospital I have not had to wake up more than once a night to feed him! Ok, so I know that this fortune could disappear at any moment, so that's why I'm writing about it now and relishing in every full night's sleep I can get! :) Cooper is smiling a ton too...which is sooo fun..and earlier than I remembered with Tucker or was expecting. For Rudy's sake, no, it's NOT gas! (he gets kindof bugged when people say that babies smile just cause of gas). They're definitely response smiles and SOO cute! I think he looks more like Rudy than Tucker did, but only time will tell I suppose.



Cooper ('08)
Tucker ('06)


Tucker is getting more and more fun every day. His vocabulary is bursting lately with him trying to say every new word we throw at him. Not to say that he still doesn't need an interpreter for 90% of what he says! :) What Tucker is famous for lately is his expressive face. Rudy's had a lot of fun getting him to make all kinds of faces. And Tucker has some crazy eyebrows that really create some good ones! He's being a good big brother and getting better every day. I think he's finally realized that "mmmPa" (Cooper) isn't going anywhere, so he's consigned himself to liking him and being really cute with him...most of the time. :)

Flowers in Virginia

Just some random shots with a fun camera of some beautiful foliage. :)

Crazy fun times with Mom and Dad Gardner

Ok, so this is going to be more of a picture journal entry for my own benefit so I can remember all of the fun things we did while my parents were here. Feel free to take a peek into my journal if you're so interested :)
Ron and Wendy came on the 9th of July and stayed until the 22nd. There was no wasted time. We saw everything we hadn't seen in Virginia as well as revisiting some Virginia essentials with them. Besides having tons of fun 'doing' stuff, we had tons of fun having them get to know Cooper and see our Virginia life. We miss you already!!
One thing that was so great was to have them here for Cooper's blessing! It was the first grandchild in 4 years that my dad has been able to be in the circle for! (he missed 4 while he was gone!) Cooper's donning Rudy's old Christening outfit, thanks to Rudy's mom for keeping it and letting us use it.
Rudy and Dad 'man bonding' putting together a backyard toy for Tucker that Rudy's been wanting for a while.The essence of our sightseeing trip...all looking at maps, trying to decide what to hit next...yet all still a little lost. :)
This was our first excursion-to Jamestown.Here's the wild animal Tucker in his natural habitat...look at him as he sneaks up on his goose prey.
We are officially in the record books for our one-day tour of Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Yankee Candle Co, AND Pierce's BBQ and made it home to put Tucker down before it got dark! WHEW!! THAT was a full day!Papa walking with Tucker around our beautiful Maymont Park. We got to see the Maymont Mansion and take a tour of all the beautiful stuff owned by the Dooley family.
Such a fun connection! Sandi Poulson, my mom's best friend in high school, lives 5 minutes away from us. Wendy and Sandi got to reunite and we got a tour from the woman who's lived here for many years and knew all the 'backroads'.
Sandi took us on a Canal Boat Tour showing us the extensive canal system George Washington set up. Tucker loved it because it ran next to an old railroad and he got to see a real CHOO CHOO! What a handsome daddy waiting for a canal ride! :)

Sandi also showed us where she worked- a non-profit organization for religious freedom. There was a wall of religions that were persecuted through the ages, the far end picture is Dallin H. Oaks, representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

We went to Charlottesville on our last full day, starting with an old style colonial meal at Michie's Tavern...YUM.
Then moving onto James Monroe's house...which we didn't get to see because they charged lots o money just to even see the outside of the house. So then we hit an old shopping area then off to Monticello to see Jefferson's house. He had a great view!
Look! It's the back of a nickel! Fun to be where Jefferson lived.
Cute Nana doing her favorite thing while in Richmond...holding cute Cooper.
Good times hanging out and playing games filled in the rest of the vacation.

Random picture of CUTE BABY FEET! I have a thing for baby feet.
Random picture of CUTE COOPER! I have a thing for Cooper. :)
Random picture of CUTE WOLF BOYS! I have a thing for my wolf boys! :)