Summer Fun!

AT THE ZOO
On the tram to see the animals from up above!

While Josh and Caleb were on the tram, Brooks rode a little train!

Checking out the penquins... they kept pecking at Brooks' shoe.


Feeding the giraffes....


Oh my, that's a long, black tongue!





VIRGINIA BEACH AQUARIUM




Out of everything at the aquarium, they were most excited to see the sharks. But they were extremely disappointed when they found out that the aquarium did NOT have a Great White!



Another highlight was touching the stingrays! They are super smooth and super duper fast! After many attempts, Josh, Caleb, Brooks and me all got to touch one as they swam by!




OFF TO THE BEACH!!!
Josh and Caleb spent most of their time romping in the waves... but they did take break and dig for awhile.


Brooks was most content in his giant hole!

A few updates on Brooks

Not only is he talking up a storm and picks up new words every day... he can spell his own name. He actually has been recognizing letters for quite a while now, and he can look at his name and repeat it. But when you ask him what his name is he says, "Books". Then you ask him how you spell it and he says, "B-R- two O's - K-S!" Just like that!

He is also very fond of automatic doors and will demand that he stands there alone waiting for no one to walk by until he can open it all by himself. I've tried to trick him if we're in a hurry... but he has an uncanny ability to know where the sensor can read his movement... and he will not leave until he is certain that he is the one who actually triggered the door. (sigh)

And my personal favorite story for today happened while we were reading a Pirate book before naptime. When we got to the page about the Pirate Booty, aka Pirate Treasure or "Monies" as Brooks calls it, I pointed to the treasure box and asked him what it was. He confidently said, "Pirate Bum!" Apparently in our house, the words "booty" and "bum" are used interchangably!

Easter 2011

Coloring a few eggs...




All decked out in our Easter duds...
This was only the 3rd picture we took... and everyone is smiling, looking at the camera, and looks pleasant. It's an Easter Miracle!!!

WHOA! It's been awhile....

A few updates in a nutshell (in no particular order):

-Josh turned 9... won 1st place in Pinewood Derby, and 1st place in the Blue and Gold Banquet cake decorating contest! (we're really trying to overachieve here)
-Brooks is a talking machine... our favorites include "Hola mommy/daddy!" and "Augua please!"
-Caleb started T-ball... that kid can sure swing!
-Josh's harmonica concert... gotta love 100 3rd graders blowin' away on a harmonica!
-Brooks' escape and dismantling of his crib. Needless to say, he is now in a big boy bed!
-Caleb learned to ride a 2 wheel bike (w/ no training wheels) on the first try!
-KaLisi recently fixed a lamp, which included taking apart and cutting wires!
-Mike is coaching 2 baseball teams (Josh's baseball and Caleb's t-ball!)

We got through Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, St. Patricks' Day and now we're on to Easter.... everyone's happy, healthy, and doing great!


The boys playing happily together building a ramp for marbles in the driveway!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010

This year it actually snowed BEFORE CHRISTMAS... so this is a little video of us playing in it!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Love,
The Trentadue's

Mike, KaLisi, Josh (8), Caleb (5), Brooks (2)

Calebism 10/22/10

When I woke Caleb up for school, he rolled over and gave me a drunken smile as he said, "Moooommmm, Why did you take my dream away?" Isn't that the cutest way of putting it?

When I asked him what his dream was about, he started giggling like crazy about how Josh fell down and Brook fell down... and a few other people I didn't recognize due to his sleepy-eyed state.... but apparently, there was a lot of falling down.

Ya gotta love this age where their perspective is so innocent and cute!
Right before surgery (to remove his tonsils), they gave him some meds to make him loopy. We call this the "Sleepy Bunny Face", because it resembles the face of a sleepy little bunny from one of our bedtime books.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKS!!!... He's 2!

Brooks is pretty oblivious to the whole birthday thing... so we did keep it pretty low key. It's funny how even though it was his birthday, he still got annoyed by his brothers and would cry or scream! I kept saying to him, "What? ... you'r crying on your birthday?" He could care less and would keep on crying til we had some cuddle time and he told me all about how Josh and Caleb were torturing him. It's so hard being 2!

But it was a relaxing day for all of us. We watched conference... and Josh and Caleb played legos while Brooks took his nap.... then for the 2nd session Brooks got to join in with the big boys and he managed to scatter legos everywhere, which was a dream come true for him! Half way into the 2nd session (at 5pm) we ate dinner and tried to listen at the same time...almost impossible with 3 (or 4) boys. But after conference, we opened a few presents which included a shopping cart (yes, I know... but honestly, he loves it!), and a remote control train (although I think Caleb and Josh played with it more then Brooks).

We had cake and ice cream. While we were singing to him, he was gazing longingly at his Buzz Lightyear and Woody cake, which was made lovingly by the Walmart Bakery! He really knows what to do with those candles, as he's seen his older brothers do it. He also gets a lot of practice perfecting his "blow" by blowing bubbles. His technique is amazing... he has such a delicate little blow, that whiffs out that flame so effortlessly! And the satisfaction he gets from seeing the smoke rise up is hilarious! When it came time to eat the cake, he politely used his spoon and hardly got anything on his face (bummer for us!).

So, it was a good day for him to turn 2! Although when you ask him how old he is he says, "Dweeeee!", and then laughs hysterically! Even though he doesn't talk much, we think his sense of humor is highly advanced because he knows it drives me crazy to think of him as 3 years old! They do grow up too fast!!!

Now I have to take a moment to just remember some of the fun things that little Brooks does that make us all so happy!!!

- When I pick him up, he slips his little hand down my shirt in the back and just tickles my back... he knows I like that!

- He goes to bed so great.... and he lets me "tuck him in" every night. As long as he has his "doggie" and his binkies (usually 2-3), he's happy and content as can be. My favorite is when he immediately rolls to his side facing away from me... it's then that I know he's going to go right to sleep and not make a fuss!

- Whenever I set a plate of food in front of him, he always (almost without fail) opens his real wide and says, "Oooh... Mmmmm!" If only he knew what great satisfaction that brings me!

- When he wakes up in the morning, or from his nap, he requires a good 20-30 minutes of just quiet time. If I go in too soon, he gets made. He would much prefer to just sit/lay quietly for a while. Sometimes I'll go in his room when it gets too late, thinking that I'm going to have to wake him up... but most of the time, I find him just sitting there... meditating, I guess.

- He is so random. Sometimes we'll look over to see him peering from around a corner wearing an army helmet or staring at us behind a set of binoculars.

- He thinks he's so big... and plays so great with his bigger brothers... and they play so great with him. Even the neighbor kids let him tag along as they play in the yard.

- He LOOOOOOVES to go on walks. Many times I've turned around to see that he's climbed into the stroller all by himself and is now pointing for me to take him on a walk. I count my blessings every time he willingly jumps into the stroller... a tender mercy in my book.

- Whenever you ask him a question, he energetically says, "Yaaaaayyy!" It makes it so fun to ask him questions... our favorite is when we go into his room when he wakes up in the morning. We'll say through the door, "Brooks, are you in there?" And without hesitation he says, 'Yeahhh!" Simple pleasures!

- He loves to point out his body parts... and gets a kick out of learning a new part. His most recent discoveries are his elbows and his lips. My favorite is when you ask him where his eyebrows are. Instead of pointing to them... he just raises them up! It's great!

- Lastly, he's a cuddle bug. He often comes up to me just to be held, and will often sit and cuddle for 20-30 minutes at a time. Or sometimes, he just comes up and rubs his head and face against my shoulder, or rubs his cheek on my cheek... sort of like a cat. He always gets this sleepy eyed look too.... like he could fall asleep at any moment.

He's just a fun little dude and we can't stop kissing on him! We just love ourselves some Brooks!!!

fyi: pictures to come, as soon as I get my act together and dump them off my camera!

doe eyes

Brooks has recently learned to flutter his eyelashes... and I have to say, his timing is impeccable! This afternoon, he kept getting down from the table while eating his lunch. His sticky, banana fingers were touching everything in sight, and so I told him to get back on his chair. He looked up at me sheepishly with his head cocked to one side, fluttered his eyes and said, "Nooooo" in the sweetest tone that a disobedient toddler could muster. I was torn between spanking his little bum or swooping him up and kissing on those chubby cheeks.

I chose the latter.

Calebism 2/11/10

The day BEFORE "the first day of school", Caleb got large scratch across his face. I can't determine if the culprit was Brooks or a random kid at the pool... but the thing is a good 6 inches long gracing his entire cheek. The night before school, Mike appropriately nicknamed him "Scratch" to go along with Josh's nickname "Blood Eye", which he inherited a week earlier due to a "toe in the eyeball" maneuver.

Right before giving the annual "Night Before School Blessing", Mike teased Caleb that he didn't remember his full name. Caleb, without hesitation, said, "It's me, Scratch R. Trentadue!"

First day of school - 2010

All decked out in their "semi-new" clothes, (we didn't really have a need to go school shopping because they have a ton of shirts, that they never wear, which includes, but is not limited to collared shirts... although they did get new shoes...) Josh and Caleb were excited for the first day of school. CORRECTION: Caleb was excited, Josh was annoyed. Thank goodness for peer pressure, because once we started walking toward the bus and seeing other kids emerging from their houses, he started to get on board.


After a smooth morning of eating breakfast and taming some unruly hair, I thought we were off to a great start leaving 10 minutes early to account for any first day mishaps. Good thing too... because I ended up having to sprint back to the house because I forgot to pin Caleb's "school bus tag" on him. For those of you who are not aware what this is... this is a very crucial part of his wardrobe because it clearly identifies him as a "Kindergartner" and should he get lost, it would notify any adult where he should be.

It was a bitter-sweet moment to see that big, yellow cheesewagon round the corner. I snapped a quick picture, and headed toward the already crowded bus. There didn't appear to be any empty seats in the front, (where the K's usually sit) so I, along with all the other Kindergarten moms were nervously pointing out our little K's. The driver shrugged his shoulders and just said, "I'm full, they just have to find a seat."

I felt so helpless, walking along the outside of the bus, watching Caleb's eyes scan the seats of the bus as he kept shuffling further and further to the back of the bus! But thank goodness for older brothers... although Josh temporarily forgot about Caleb as he bounded on the bus... he eventually "took him under his little brotherly wing" and they sat together about 5 seats from the back of the bus. (breath sigh of relief because at least they were together)

Now, I have to just trust in the school system... and have faith that they will return him to me safe and sound.

Pool time...

We haven't been to the pool very much this summer... partly because we were in Alaska for a month... but mostly due to my laziness. I know... what could be more relaxing then going to the pool?

Well to be perfectly honest, it is getting easier. But I can't exactly close my eyes or read a book yet. I have to keep my eyes glued my toddling little one, because he's been known to bed over to pick up a toy and go UNDER! Not to mention, all the effort it takes to pack snacks, water bottles, towels... find the swim trunks that get strewn - wherever - and then apply sunscreen and load into the car. I'm sweating by this point!

But once we get there, Josh heads to the big pool and is under the supervision of the lifeguards... (am I bad mom for admitting that?) Caleb is often content to play in the smaller pool (we don't call it the baby pool anymore)... and Brooks is happy as can be playing with his balls.... check it out! Sorry, it's a tad long.

Matanuska River

Alaska Trip Tid-Bits - July 7, 2010
We needed to kill a little time. Thank goodness my parents live on a farm with barns to play hide-and-seek in, fields to run and play in, a trampoline to almost break a leg on, and a riverbed to explore in the back yard.

My Dad was the tour guide for this little trip and after investigating a stream and an underground spring, we decided to hike across the riverbed to the main river. Some of our little hikers managed to fall on rocks and bruise up their knees, step in ankle deep water, and walk as slow as molasses.



Plan B:
Ancient Art of Rock Stacking:

The key is to balance the rocks in such a way that they are almost on the verge of falling over, but by fitting them together perfectly they manage to defy gravity. And to make it even MORE amazing, we did it with life-size boulders and climbed up on top of the teetering rocks to pose for a picture. Thank goodness no one was injured!






Another fun thing, is finding rocks that look like something else. For example, we found a "Nutter Butter Rock", and "Heart Rocks". As we were leaving, my Dad drew everyone's attention to a a rock he found that look like a sock. Turns out it was a real sock fossilized into the riverbed. The kids weren't as impressed, but they posed for a picture anyway!

Mini Hike

Alaska Trip Tid-Bits - July 2, 2010
One day we decided to take a little walk across the field to check out the historic John Springer Cabin. It's kind of sad because it has completely caved in. It used to be a fun place to play... I remember going in there when I was younger and looking for old stuff like tin cans and jars and even an old newspaper from "back in the day".

The grass was so tall that Brooks couldn't even walk in it without it tickling his nose!

Now there's a lot of barbed wire around it to keep people out... and with all the old rotten wood and rusty nails, it's really not a place you want to enter. Although Mike tried and almost fell into a bottomless pit never to be heard from again. There really is only one beam that's upright... complete with a swastika plastered on it.

So after a quick look around, we were done with the cabin. But, I did want to venture into the woods to find another old cabin that we used to go to. But after we went 25 feet beyond the tree line, the mosquitos were so bad and swarming around poor little Brooks... they just love that sweet baby blood... that we had to turn around and head back to the house.


Mike, after his glimpse at death... or at least a slight injury.

Catching the BIG ONE!

Alaska Trip Tid-Bit - July 6, 2010

So we flew 6,000 miles to take the boys fishing... but our timing was WAY off. We were too late for King Salmon fishing... and too early for Silvers. Apparently June or August are the best times to fish... we were there in July. But the "boys" went fishing to a nearby lake fishing for rainbow trout.

Caleb caught the biggest... and he was a wild one! Apparently, blood was flipping all over his face in an attempt to take this picture!


And Josh caught this little guy... and he looks like a wild one too....

... he's flipping around pretty good for a little guy.

Basically, Josh and Caleb got to experience it all... hangin' out with the boys for the afternoon... eating lunch with fish slime on your hands... and a couple close-calls with a flying hook... WHAT MORE COULD THEY WANT???

Next year we'll try to go in August so they can feel the fight of a Silver! Now THAT'S fun!