Update on Brandon at 3 years 7 months

I am taking a moment to look back at photos a year ago when Olivia first arrived and I am amazed at how much Brandon has changed in just a year.  He has physically gone from looking like a toddler, rounder and chubbier cheeks to looking and acting like a little boy.  He is following his growth chart still, very tall for his age, the doctors stated about 41.5 when I had them measure him in May and about 42.5 lbs.  He is a big boy about the size of most 4.5 year old but he is very proportionate and has been following his 95% growth chart that he has been in since 4 months.  I realized that I did not put his height and weight down at his three year appointment. back in December.  He was 39.5 inches and 39.5 pounds then.  He is still wearing some 3T Gymboree shorts from last year that seem to run really big but mostly 4T in other shorts and pants with some 5T mixed in that are big.  He is in 4T and 5T shirts and is wearing a size 10.5 shoe.

Brandon says the funniest things now as a 3 year old.  He loves to ask "why?" and is naturally inquisitive.  He also has learned how to manipulate a situation too.  Just recently he loves to tell made up stories and has a very vivid imagination.  He loves to read with us at bed time, especially his Disney Fairy Tale Collection book.  He goes through phases of what he is interested on on TV.  We try to limit his TV to 3-4 20 minute shows.  Right now he is into Curious George and Transformer Rescue Bots.  He loves his Heat Wave fire truck Rescue Bot that turns from a transformer to a fire truck.  He loves to play and run outside, ride his bike, and play at the park.  He is not really into anything with fine motor skills, like painting or drawing but I think that may also be due to the fact that he does a lot of that at school every day.  He is currently doing swimming lessons on Saturday mornings and we are working at getting him to be more comfortable in the water and putting his head in.  He is also doing Soccer Shots (beginning soccer classes for 3-5 year old) at his school once a week and Tumble Bus (beginning gymnastic and tumbling skills) at his school.

Brandon is enjoying school.  He likes his teachers and his friends at school, especially Andrew and Rylan.  Brandon is going to get to move into the Jr. Kindergarten room this fall which he is really excited about.  He will have homework in Jr. K!  He is getting to move to Jr. K early (usually its for 4 and 5 year old) because his teachers say that he listens and follows directions really well in school and is quick to learn.  Depending on how he does, we may have him do Jr. K for two years or we may have him do the private Kindergarten they have at the school and then do Kindergarten again at our public school.  Brandon is so tall that he is excited to move into the next class up with the "big kids."  His preschool room has kids as young as 2.5 in there.    I was told by Brandon's teachers that Brandon is a leader in his classroom.  He is very confident and likable and generally makes friends wherever he goes.  One of Brandon's best qualities I think is that he has shown to already have good emotional intelligence.  He is empathetic and sweet and thinks about other's feelings and seems to know when someone is upset or hurting and tries to make it better.

Brandon is pretty good natured most of the time.  He does have a stubborn streak about him at times and is persistent with things.  This does sometimes leads to tantrums (usually when he is tired and hungry).  He also has an excellent memory, which can be both good and bad because it is almost a guarantee that he will remember what you tell him.  He has grown way more independent in the past six months.  He has gone from having us dress him to picking out his own clothes and then putting them on himself.  He loves wearing anything with a "superhero" on it so he has quite a few Superman, Spiderman, and Batman shirts.  He is in love with his spiderman sweatshirt we got him.  He also has been completely potty trained during the day and at night since February.  Just in the last month, he has learned how to strap himself into his car seat by himself and loudly will protest if we do it for him.  He has to do everything himself and be a "big boy."  I love my little boy so much, can't believe he is growing up so fast!  Only two more years and we will have a kindergartner! I know it will go by really fast.

Brandon last year at this time at 2.5 years old 

Brandon last year at this time at 2.5 years od

Seeing sister at 2.5 years old

Running through the fountains at 2.5 years old

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brandon in May 2014

At the beach over Memorial Day weekend at almost 3.5 years old

Climbing the rock wall at the park

Eating a cupcake at Grant's birthday party in May 

Playing in his sand table in June at 3.5 years 

Climbing the tree at the Children's Museum-he loves his super hero shirts

Swinging at the Pirate Park in Bend in early July 

Love this picture at 3 years 7 months

Ready to ride bike in Sun River in July 

Riding bikes in Sun River in July 

SHARC pool in July

Playing at the SHARQ sand area in July

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me at 3-Brandon and I look so much alike at this age

More of me at three playing in my sand box with my trucks

I believe I was three  or almost three in this picture

I was a bit younger here-me at 2

Olivia's First Birthday Family Celebration

We celebrated Olivia's first birthday party 8 days before her actual birthday because we were going to Sun River and her birthday ended up being the Sunday after the Fourth after a long weekend due to the holiday and we wanted people to be around.  Olivia's actual birthday was pretty tame because we were unpacking from Sun River and getting ready for the work week.  Olivia got to open up her present from Mom and Dad (she had already gotten a water table earlier for the back yard) and she got a cute tea set.  Brandon got to open a present from CiCi, a fun boat to play in the pool or the water table.  We went grocery shopping and then the kids played outside in our backyard in the baby pool we set up and the water and sand tables.  It is so nice having grass in our backyard.  Both Brandon and Olivia love to run around the grass and it is nice not having to worry about Olivia falling on cement.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  Sean made yummy chicken wings and we had strawberry short cake for dessert because Olivia's favorite food right are strawberries.  We put a candle in her strawberry short cake and sang to her.  It was a really fun and low key day.

Birthday girl the morning of her birthday

Opening up her present  

Big brother helped

Tea party with her present!

Time to mow the lawn!

She found the pinwheels and love to pull them out of the ground

Running through Trader Joe's on her birthday

Birthday backyard fun in the pool

Birthday shortcake with the candle

Singing happy birthday to Olivia

Brandon and Olivia eating some short cake

Sun River Trip 2014

Our main family trip this summer was to Sun River, which is about 20 miles south of Bend, Oregon.  Sean and I have been to the Sun River area at least four other times together, the last being Labor Day weekend 2012 when Brandon was 21 months old with the Mowery Family.  I looked into all the house rental websites and settled on a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom home that was across from the Sun River Aquatic Center (SHARC) that Brandon loved so much last time.  The last time we went it was such a pain to have to park near the SHARC.  The house was also only half a mile from the Sun River Village.  We ended up picking the week leading up to the fourth of July so we would not have to use another vacation day and was gone Monday June 30th through Saturday July 5th.

Here are some of our photos from our trip with the Mowerys back on Labor Day weekend 2012:

Brandon and Logan at the bike trailer back in 2012

Me pulling those heavy boys

Train at the Sun River Village

Icecream at Goody's

Playing in the sand. Brandon was so little then!

The house ended up being a bit dated (most are like that that are so close to the village the SHARC as they are usually original with Sun River (which was built in 1968).  The location ended up being perfect.  The house was great because there were no stairs so we did nave to worry about Olivia falling down them.  The house also had a BBQ and a nice deck and a really nice 8 person hot tub.  It also was right on a bike path and on a culdasac.  The bedrooms were a great size.  The second bedroom had bunk beds and a queen bed in there.  The bunk beds were not super high and Brandon showed us he was able to navigate the ladder just fine so we allowed him to sleep on the top bunk which he loved.  Our master bedroom had a master bathroom which we stuck Olivia in and a nice pillow top mattress.  There was also a washer and dryer which was handy.

Brandon on the top bunk

All tucked in!

Our house 

View of the SHARC facility from our house 

After we got into Sun River we dropped all of our stuff off at the house and then went back into Bend to do some grocery shopping for the 5 days we were in Sun River.  We got stuff for meals for all the nights except one.  We came back home and allowed the kids to we run around and then put them to bed and enjoyed the hot tub together.

The next day we basically spent the entire day at the SHARC facility.  It was Olivia's first experience swimming.  We were really cautious because we did not want her to sun burn because of her fair skin and it was really sunny that day.  She was hesitant at first in the water but then got used to it and had a lot of fun.  She loved getting in and out of the pool.  It was nice because they had a fenced in toddler area that made it so that the babies could not get out easily and a 1.5 foot pool that was warmed so the babies could easily play in it.  Also there was an awesome sand play area nearby and little fountains near the beginning of the pool.

All packed up for the SHARC

First experience at a pool

Having fun with Daddy

Brandon even enjoyed playing in the baby pool and the nearby sand area

Splashing in the little fountains

Brandon enjoyed running back and forth from the big pool where they had a little slide that he could go down, to the gated little pool and sand area.  He could not go down the big slide as he had to be 48 inches (probably won't be tall enough for another 2-3 years for that).  But he had fun going down the little slide.  He had the most fun running in and out of the fountains.  Both Olivia and Brandon had a lot of fun going with us in inner tubes in the Lazy River.  It was not as relaxing as the last time I went to Sun River with the Mowery's when Brandon was 20 months old because Olivia was running everywhere and did not want to stay put for longer period of times like Brandon could at that time and be entertained.  Olivia also now can almost run and is very quick in getting to where she wants to go on her feet with makes it difficult keeping up with her.

After an entire day at the SHARC, we were all pretty sunned out and tired.  I found out I got a bad sun burn on my back (I took care of the kids of course with sunblock and not myself).  We made a yummy dinner of porter steak on the grill with a good Caesar salad and ate outside.  Olivia slept great most of the trip at night, usually being in bed by about 8:00 PM.  Brandon, on the other hand, was all wound up and would not go to sleep.  Once he was asleep he was fine.  He got to sleep on bunk beds which was fun and we forgot his pull ups which might have been part of it (although he hasn't had an accident at night in months).  It made the evenings not as relaxing as Sean and I hoped and we found ourselves unfortunately having very little time to ourselves.  Oh well that is the joy I guess of having young children!

Liv loves empty beer bottles

Trouble with those beer bottles 

First ice-cream cone!

Olivia even ate the cone!                                             

Our second full day at Sun River we met up with my friend from Elementary School Kelsey and her family and let them use some of our SHARC passes.  It was nice talking to Kelsey and meeting her daughters Aberly who is 4 (about one year older than Brandon) and Emalynn who is 3 months older than Olivia.  After we were done with the SHARC we went home for nap and lunch time and got the kids down and then there was a huge thunder and lightning storm that woke Olivia up.  We decided to go shopping at the Old Mill District in Bend and go to a neat Pirate Boat park we had heard about.  We had a lot of fun shopping at the Old Mill District and I found some great deals for the kids for next year at the GAP and got a really cute shirt at the Duck Store and Sean got a hat.  We went to the Pirate Boat park where the kids had a lot of fun.  It was a very imaginative park and Brandon had a blast there pretending to be a pirate. We came home and Sean made a yummy home made pasta with Vodka sauce and we had our yummy Four Graces Pinot Noir bottle.

Ready to swim with her hat and for the Fourth of July 

The Pirate Park in Bend-Columbia Memorial Park

Side by side swinging the best!

Looking through the spy glass-Aye Matey!

Love this boy!

Clapping and walking Liv's favorite

Overview of the Pirate Ship 

Our third day we went swimming in the morning and then after naps went and into Sun River and got Goody's ice-cream.  Yummy homemade ice-cream they make from scratch.  We rented a bike trailer and took the kids on a bike ride to Fort Rock Park in Sun River.  Sean tried to take Brandon on the tandem bike that we had and Brandon did not like it, it freaked him out.  We got yummy Calzones from this Italian restaurant in Sun River and went in the hot tub that night as it cooled down enough.

Big brother and sister playing together one morning

Love these two!

Olivia playing by the bikes

Getting training wheels putting on the bike that came with our house

Brandon and Daddy in matching Super Man shirts on a bike ride

Olivia standing in front of our vacation home

Olivia all messy from the Vodka pasta 

Swimming at the SHARC 

Walking with Daddy at the pool 

Brandon playing in the sand

Filling up the buckets

Running around in the sand

Running around everywhere!

On a mission!

Olivia and Mommy Selfie

Working with brother in the sand

Playing at Fort Rock Park with Daddy

Olivia wanted to climb up the jungle gym like big brother

Daddy and Brandon playing at the park

Daddy hug!

Playing in the pool with his monster truck

Ice cream at Goody's 

Give me that ice cream cone

Brandon wanted a chocolate cone

Trailer bike fun

The fourth day was Fourth of July.  We were bummed to find out that no fireworks were allowed in Sun River and so there were no firework shows.  We contemplated about going into Bend for fireworks but after hearing that they don't start until 10:00 PM and Olivia goes to bed around 8:00 PM we decided it was not a good idea.  We decided to just light up our fireworks at home the next day when we get home.  We had a really fun Fourth of July day starting with a bike ride to breakfast in Sun River eating yummy donuts and scones.  Then we headed home and Olivia had a nap and I took Brandon back into Sun River village to go in a bouncy house and to watch the Fourth of July parade.  Brandon's highlight of the parade was seeing the fire truck (he loves fire trucks).  Brandon and I went on the Sun River village train (the same train that Brandon and Logan went on almost two years).  I went shopping and got some Sun River sweat shirts for the kids and myself and we headed home.  After naps we headed to the pool for the last time and had a lot of fun.  On the way home from the pool, Brandon and Sean went on a cool Rock Climbing wall park that was about 5 minutes from our house.  Sean made yummy chicken and shrimp fajitas for dinner that night.  Brandon and Sean went on a fun evening bike ride together and went back to the rock climbing wall where they proceeded to go up the rocks for about an hour.

Yummy Red, White, and Blue donut on the Fourth of July

Fourth of July trailer bike ride

Waving her flag

Patriotic baby on her first Fourth of July

At the Sun River parade 

Waving at the fire truck 

Waving the flag in the Sun River train 

Mommy and Brandon Selfies in the train

Brandon outside of the brian

Running in the fountains on the Fourth of July at the SHARQ

Fourth of July swim suit!

Brandon loved running through the fountains

Water baby towards the end of the trip

Brandon loved the water as well

Rock climbing with Daddy at the park nearby

Evening bike ride on the Fourth of July 

The next day we had to pack up and go home.  It was a pain to pack up and to find everything.  We left our house in Sun River at around 11:00 and then hit the Pirate Park in Bend on our way out of town and to have a picnic there.  The kids had a lot of fun and then we made our three and a half hour ride home.  We got home home, unpacked, and then later that night we celebrated the Fourth of July at our house a day later with fireworks with Brandon after Olivia had gone to bed.

Brandon all ready for some fireworks 

Fireworks!

Getting the firecrackers ready

Helping Daddy light the firework

Brandon and Mommy on the Fourth of July

Brandon and I watching the fireworks

Family selfie

Second family selfie

 We had so much fun at Sun River that we agreed to make it a yearly summer tradition.