Myles at 1.5

Our Myles is 18-months old.  That means a few things:

1. He is not really a baby anymore.

2. He is not really a big kid either.

3. He is officially in the stage that challenges me more than any other.

 Myles desperately wants to keep up with the big kids, but they are on to him.  They know that he has the tendency to destroy whatever they are doing, and that he demands our attention in a different way.  BUT, they love him fiercely.  The fierceness manifests itself in how they hug him, how they pick him up and swing him around at breakneck speeds, how they splash him in the pool, how they wrestle with him under the couch cushions, and how they just squeeze him like they can't get enough of him.

Myles at 18-months:

Weight - 25 lbs.

Height - 30.5 inches

Head - 19.5 inches

Teeth - 12

Shoe Size - 6

He remains our littlest peanut, but he is not slight on energy.  In fact, just yesterday, I had two complete strangers remark on "the mischief in his eyes."  The YMCA childcare has also nicknamed him the "Little Tornado."  Just what every mother wants... a mischievous little tornado child.  Whew!

Our Little Tornado was temporarily slowed down by a nasty bout with Campylobacter.  After 3+ weeks of non-stop vomiting and diarrhea, it was finally discovered that he had a bacteria that wreaked havoc on his little system.  It was brutal.  All around BRUTAL.  We're talking multiple loads of laundry every day, frequent baths for Myles and showers for the victims who fell prey to his upheaval, and an all-around miserable little boy.   Thankfully, he is now symptom free and back to himself.  

Myles LOVES:

* Papa

(That really needs to be at the top of the list.) 

* Being outside

(Park, yard, middle of the road...he is not particular)

* Cuddling

(He is the cuddliest of all three kids.)

* The pool

(He has no fear of the water, 

and he wants to do everything right along with the big kids.)

* Feeding himself

(He wants to hold the spoon or fork and do it BY HIMSELF.)

*Avocado and Banana

(When nothing else works, those are two guarantees.)

* Bike rides

(He sits in the back with Papa or Daddy and LOVES it)

* Playing "Where is that?"

(He "hides" something and then puts his hands up as if to say, "Where is it?"  

See picture below)

Myles and his best bud...Papa!

Myles Dislikes:

(See his grumpy face)

 * Being cold

(Can we blame him?  Who really likes that?!)

* Getting in the carseat

(There is almost always a protest...complete with arched back and stiff legs)

* Sitting in the highchair

(We just had to get a new one with straps so that we could secure his little buns.)

* The fact that we just added drawer latches to all but one drawer

(His daily game of emptying the kitchen drawers was making me bananas, so game over.)

Myles' Words

- Mama

-Dada

- Papa

- Ninnie

- Ball

- Done

- Water

- Night-Night

- No

- More

- Banana

- Balloon

- Uh-oh

Just for fun...

Isaac at 18-months

Clare at 18-months

While I find this stage to be challenging, I know that it will be gone before I know it.  For now, it will be one little tornado after another, but at least I get lots of sweet snuggles and cuddles.  We love you, Myles Patrick!

Rewind to Corrie's Birthday in February

I love birthdays.  I love celebrating others on their birthday, and I love having a special day on my birthday.  My sweet hubby doesn't have the same affinity for birthdays, but he has made it a point to make February 11th a day of celebration. 
Thank you, sweet hubby! 

Phil always asks me what I want for my birthday, and my answer is always the same.  I want him to take the day off, and I want to do something special as a family.  No distractions.  No specific agenda.  Just FUN family time.

 Unlike my birthday in 2013 and 2014, it was a little too chilly for the beach this year.

 Instead, we went to a new county park.  Medard Park isn't new to the county, just to us.

 We had a wonderful time.  The kids explored, ran around, climbed trees, and played follow the leader.

Isaac, my sensitive little peanut, took a tumble that required extra cuddles.  

This unsuspecting picture ended up being one of my favorites of the day.

High up in one of the big trees.

A little "hiking" through the hilly terrain of central Florida.  Ha!  ;)

 "Myles High"

Smiles all around!

The gnarly tree

Weeee!

Happy Mama!

We finished the day with dinner at our favorite sushi place, and it was perfect.  I feel like a kid when I get excited thinking about my next birthday. 

Celebration Marathon

The blog has been neglected.  I have hundreds of pictures that need documenting, and there are countless special moments from the past few months that I want to record, but other things have taken priority.  As I sit with a few quiet moments, I want to highlight the most recent event.

Phil and I ran another marathon this past weekend.  

It was Phil's third and my seventh.  Perfect 10?

The 26.2 miles wound through the quaint little pleasantville of Celebration, Florida.

We stayed in a hotel...just the two of us!

CELEBRATION!

(Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Hillary!)

We enjoyed a tasty Italian meal at D'Antonio's.

CELEBRATION!

We filled our bellies with all sorts of carbohydrates. 

CELEBRATION!

That is, after all, is one of the perks of running races.  :)

Another perk was having a 24-hour getaway.

CELEBRATION!

Just in case we didn't fuel our bodies with enough carbs at dinner, we had to pack in a few more with ice cream from Kilwin's.

Need I say it again?

CELEBRATION!

We went to bed early and woke up early.  

After months of training, we were ready to "get 'er done!"

We didn't actually run together this time.  For one, Phil is a foot taller than me, and he has a much longer stride.  Secondly, Phil is just faster that I am.  Lastly, we trained differently and had different goals.  For several years, it has been my goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  I can now cross that off my life list.  I needed a 3:40 to qualify, and I finished in 3:34:22.  Phil, who finished over ten minutes before me, was waiting for me at the finish line.  It was very exciting!

It's kind of hard to see on this picture, but our faces were covered in salt.  Our toes were blistered, and I have three black toenails as a souvenir.  We could barely get ourselves on and off the toilet without assistance, but it was still worth it! 

Running 26.2 miles takes a toll in many ways, but it is an amazing experience every time.  Now that we're both walking normally again, we can start thinking about Boston in 2016!  :)

The Funnies

We inherently think our own children are cute, smart, charming, and FUNNY.  Humor is hard to capture in photos and blog posts, but I need to record these little doses of humor for our own sake.

Clare to Papa:
"It's strange that you're older than Daddy, but he is stronger than you."

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Isaac's new number is 61,000.  Everything is 61,000.  
- "I had 61,000 dreams last night."
- "I just went 61,000 poopies."
- "I played outside for 61,000 minutes."
- "I already ate 61,000 bites."

********

Myles can't seem to go a single day without falling on his head.  

Seriously!  This kid has a permanent bruise on his forehead.

August 2014

 September 2014

 October 2014

 November 2014

 December 2014

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Isaac had a time out the other day for throwing sand and pushing.  I told him that he had to sit and think about why he had a time out.  When I spoke with him a few minutes later, I expected to hear him repent for those TWO misdemeanors.  This was the conversation:
Corrie: "Why did you have a time out?"
Isaac: "I threw sand, I pushed, I peed in my pants, and I broke Daddy's plant."
Corrie (with shock and surprise at the other two confessions): "Isaac, that was FOUR bad choices."
Isaac: "Actually it was five.  I also took away Clare's wet thing."

********

 They didn't like the smell of what I was making for dinner.  

This was their solution.

********

Clare's teacher told me a story that I need to record.  She said that there was an obvious kerfuffle in the corner of the classroom so she went over to inquire.  
Teacher: "What's the matter over here?"
Ethan: "Clare told me that I don't exist, but I do.  I'm right here.  I DO EXIST!"
Clare: I'm just so confused.
Teacher: "Why are you confused, Clare?"
Clare: "My mommy and daddy said that you have to be married to have a baby, and Ethan's mommy and daddy aren't married, so how was he born?"
Ethan: "CLARE...I was born!  I'M RIGHT HERE!"
Teacher: "I think it's time that we go back to our math lesson."

********

Isaac thinks that Band Aids are a cure-all.  

He puts them on daily.  If his head hurts, he puts a Band Aid on it. 

 If anything "hurts," he puts a Band Aid on it...or THREE Band Aids on it.

********

For a while, Clare thought the saying was, "if you exist" rather than "if you insist."

********

 Myles is always trying to catch a stream water...

in the bathtub, kitchen sink, behind the boat...to no avail.

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Clare comes home with the funniest little journal entries.

October 2014

"I do not like spiders.  I like to step on them.  I know they are good but I not like them."

November 2014

"I love winter.  I would love to see Santa.  I don't know how he flies on his sled in one night.  I know it is Jesus' birthday."

October 2013

(What a difference ONE LETTER makes!)

November 2013

Who is that black-hearted, red-eyed person in our family portrait?

 She told us it was the Statue of Liberty.  Of course! 

September 2013

January 2014

Again...one letter makes a big difference!

November 2013

What is your water breaking?

This was shortly after Myles was born...and she was with me when my water broke.  Ha!

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Oh, we love these kiddos.  They bring us infinite laughter and JOY!