Brycen also LOVES to help cook and bake. He has his "own" step stool that is the right size for the counter.
Below Bryce is caught licking the bowl after making cake balls!
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Big Helper!
Brycen is most definitely a stereotypical 2 year old who loves to feel important and be a big helper. He loves to do laundry (pictured below) and pulls his step stool up to the washer to put clothes in. He then helps Mom move clothes from the washer to dryer, and after they're dry, he is in charge of taking them out. (Mom puts away.)
Weekend with the Daly's
Opening weekend for Deer season is always a weekend where Beth Daly and I get together. Now that we have kids, we enjoy getting our families together. We met up at the Cedar Rapids Science Station for a few hours of fun. They played with blocks, Lego's, dinosaurs, trains, and had so much fun running around it was very difficult to pry them away for lunchtime.
We had lunch at Panera bread where Addalie was nearly falling asleep at the table and both of the girls were sleeping within a few minutes being in the car. Brycen, naturally, was awake and surprisingly went down for his nap well when we got home. That afternoon we had fun playing around the house.
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| Brycen and the girls digging for dinosaur bones (sorry the picture is blurry) |
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| Mack, Brycen, and Addalie eating the snacks we prepared on a bench at the Science Center. |
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| Mack & Brycen sitting on a pulley swing |
We had fun making home made pizza that night for supper. We made the dough, put on pizza sauce and had fun sprinkling on pepperoni, Canadian bacon, peppers, and cheese. Yum! It was a hit!
Afterwards, they did really well and had fun in the bath together. Real estate space was limited, but everyone played well. We read books together afterwards and the kids settled in for bed. The next morning, we played for a little bit, had breakfast, and then Beth, Mack, and Addalie took off. Brycen and Mom spent the rest of the day together playing and decorating for Christmas!
Afterwards, they did really well and had fun in the bath together. Real estate space was limited, but everyone played well. We read books together afterwards and the kids settled in for bed. The next morning, we played for a little bit, had breakfast, and then Beth, Mack, and Addalie took off. Brycen and Mom spent the rest of the day together playing and decorating for Christmas!
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| All three in the tub! |
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| Brycen & Mack brush, brush, brushing those teeth! |
Can you ride a camel?
Thanksgiving weekend, Brycen and Grandpa talking about Uncle Steve and the fun happenings of the weekend. Excuse the video as Brycen is eating lunch and has a full mouth of food at times.
Fara Thanksgiving
This year we hosted the Fara Thanksgiving at our new home. It was convenient for Aunt Leigh, Logan, and Skylar because they have been visiting Papa Terry and Gran-B in Dubuque for a few weeks. Grandpa and Grandma Fara came on Friday night late after Brycen was sleeping and everyone else came on Saturday.
The kids had so much fun playing, especially in the unfinished basement where it's toy central and nothing is really off limits. They played a "sea monster" game quite a bit... which involved running around, screaming, something about putting them in "jail" on the couch, and hiding. Needless to say, they had fun!
Everyone took off after lunch on Sunday when Brycen went down for his nap. There were many plans to stop in Des Moines for Christmas shopping and we all enjoyed a little nap time ourselves.
The kids had so much fun playing, especially in the unfinished basement where it's toy central and nothing is really off limits. They played a "sea monster" game quite a bit... which involved running around, screaming, something about putting them in "jail" on the couch, and hiding. Needless to say, they had fun!
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| Grandpa Fara and the grand kids snuggled up on the couch watching "Super Why" before nap time. Brycen is tired! |
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| Playing around in super-hero capes! |
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| Skylar with multiple capes on and a Bears helmet. |
We had our Thanksgiving meal on Saturday night with a smorgasbord of food. Burke cooked a delicious turkey and we enjoyed some of the most amazing sweets made by Katie! YUM!
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| Layered red velvet cake with oreo and cream cheese between the layers and home made fudge and chocolate chips on top. It was incredible! Leave it to Katie to bring a fabulous dessert. |
Blanchard Thanksgiving
We were lucky to have Uncle Perry home for Thanksgiving this year! Brycen enjoyed spending time at Grandpa and Grandma Blanchard's house for two days with everyone. We had a lot of delicious food made specially by Grandma Jo for every meal.
Brycen even enjoys "cooking" for us in the playschool kitchen at their house. He spends so much time preparing cakes, desserts, cupcakes, cookies, and many other foods for us to eat. He even has to put on his oven mitt to serve everything on a platter. This is usually what Brycen gravitates to the minute we walk into the door at their house.
On Thanksgiving Day we were blessed to have Aunt Lu, Uncle Marc, and Andrea join us in Belle Plaine for more food. Brycen enjoyed entertaining the group and had fun reading books with Uncle Marc. Brycen
On Black Friday, we came home to put up the Christmas tree and watched the Hawkeyes play a great game against Nebraska in Lincoln. Uncle Perry came over and we had Chic Fillet (his favorite) for lunch. Brycen enjoyed snuggling with "the boys" on the couch.
Brycen even enjoys "cooking" for us in the playschool kitchen at their house. He spends so much time preparing cakes, desserts, cupcakes, cookies, and many other foods for us to eat. He even has to put on his oven mitt to serve everything on a platter. This is usually what Brycen gravitates to the minute we walk into the door at their house.
On Thanksgiving Day we were blessed to have Aunt Lu, Uncle Marc, and Andrea join us in Belle Plaine for more food. Brycen enjoyed entertaining the group and had fun reading books with Uncle Marc. Brycen
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| Brycen modeling Grandpa's reading glasses |
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| Burke, Brycen & Perry cheering on the Hawkeys vs. Nebraska |
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Visiting Jean
About six weeks after Brycen started going to Harvest Christian, Brycen and I paid Jeanie and Pa a visit. It was long overdue, but we wanted to give Brycen some time to adjust to his new school and routine.
The days leading up to the visit, he could hardly contain himself and couldn't wait for Tuesday to be here to see Jean. He immediately gave Jean the biggest hug and squeezed her tightly. She read books to him and they all had a wonderful conversation. We played for a while and Jean was so nice to dig out some specific toys that Brycen requested to play with. Before we knew it, the time had come to leave in order to make his Dr. Appt for his flu shot.
Leaving was the most difficult thing to do. Brycen had a complete meltdown. He resented me for even mentioning that we had to leave and was adamant that he was staying. Needless to say, we left the house without shoes or a coat on and I carried him to the car in tears. Jean was nice enough to let Brycen take home a dinosaur (brontosaurus) that he was playing with to help with the separation.
There were so many smiles, laughs, and fun things shared in the short hour or so we stayed. Brycen immediately was talking about the next time he would be visiting them and that he was going to stay all day. He also told me that neither I or Daddy would pick him up... He was just going to stay there.
Jean and Pa sold their home a few short weeks later and moved in November. We hope to see them again soon after they get settled into their new home but it just won't be the same in a new environment. We talk about them often and keep them in our prayers. Brycen has been very interested in his dinosaurs lately and likes to play with the one Jean gave him.
Asking Uncle Steve questions
Uncle Steve is currently stationed at the largest military base in Afghanistan. He left in August and will get home in May 2014. We talk about Uncle Steve quite a bit and have him in our prayers every night. A little over a month ago, we were talking about Uncle Steve being in the desert and how he flies the Apache helicopters. Brycen had so many questions to ask him so after a fun phone call we had with Steve, we video taped his next question. :) I know that Steve has enjoyed the interaction and interest from his Godson.
Here's a picture of Brycen calling Uncle Steve one morning on the way to school asking questions like, "Are you good? Have you been flying your helicopter? Did you wear your earmuffs? Is it noisy?"
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| This is a picture that Steve had sent back to Brycen. |
Little Eyes watching
Every morning, if Brycen's not already awake, Burke wakes Brycen up before he goes into work. One morning, Brycen had a tough time waking up and was laying in bed for a while when I went into his room to get him ready for the day. Burke was just leaving the house so Brycen popped up to wave at him as he backed down the driveway and drove away.
Brycen noticed that Burke did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign and I remember that he said something to me as I was picking out his clothes. He didn't mention any more about it until later that night. We were on our way to Belle Plaine that evening for Thanksgiving and Brycen was chatting every second of the way like normal. For a few short moments he was quiet and then asked Burke, "He Daddy? Remember when you left and you didn't stop? You need to follow the rules, Daddy."
Burke and I looked at each other in awe and I had to tell Burke that he didn't fully stop at the stop sign this morning as he drove away. Brycen surely noticed and made sure to let his Daddy know! We had quite a laugh about it with family.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Prairie Du Chein Trip
Each year we take a quick day trip to Prairie Du Chien. Burke and I have been going since 2006 and this was the first year it looked like we wouldn't have time with a busy fall. Luckily for us, we experienced a very odd fall season and many of the leaves turned a few weeks later than normal. The weekend before Halloween we took a drive up for our annual trip. It was the last year with just the tree of us and our first long trip with Brycen potty trained.
Harvest was in full swing and our drive was very entertaining mainly due to the hundreds of combines, tractors, wagons, oggers, and other farm and construction equipment on the roads and in the fields. We went to Cabellas where Brycen got to sit and pretend to drive in an ATV. He enjoyed looking at the dozens of animals all around the store and spent most of his time in front too the very large fish aquarium.
After Cabellas, we went to a local brewery for lunch where Brycen was determined not to eat at. It was probably our first battle in a restaurant with him. Good thing there were veryf ew customers there at the time.
We went to Pikes Peak where we took a nice hike together. Brycen had a great time looking at all of the trees, leaves, and his favorite was picking up acorns. We left the park with two very full coat pockets of acorns. In fact, we had to pry him away from the piles of acorns and bribe him to get back in the car to leave.
He slept almost the entire way home and it was probably the most enjoyable trip yet... Even with the restaurant outburst. :)
Tall Tales
Brycen has quite the imagination! He loves to imagine and play out scenarios regarding the simplist of things; why a car is parked in a certain place, where someone is going, why things are arranged a certain way, and more.
He tells stories all of the time and I wanted to note quite the tall tale he told during harvest that started with driving a combine. On the way home from school one day, we saw a combine in a field combining corn. As he pointed it out, he told me that he had drove a combine before. I gave him a puzzling look and asked him where and when?
He responded that he drove Grandpa Fara's combine on Tuesday. I asked if he parked it in the right place and offered to call Grandpa to ask him. Brycen quickly said, "no, no, no, don't call him!" He said that he combined the corn for a long time.
When we got home, he repeated the same story to Dad. Burke asked Brycen how he came home from the farm and Brycen responded saying that he had brought the 4 wheeler back. (3 1/2 hour car ride!) Burke then asked where he parked the 4 wheeler and Brycen didn't skip a beat and said in the back in the grass. Burke started making his way to the porch to look and Brycen again started yelling, "no, no, no don't look!" Burke even went on to ask what color the 4 wheeler was, Brycen answered quickly, "purple." Burke smiled and said, " well, Grandpa Fara's 4 wheeler is red, it must not have been Grandpas 4 wheeler you drove back.
The story went on and on and parts of the story grew after while. Each time we asked Brycen to tell it, amazingly, the smallest of details stayed the same. He really kept to his story and stuck to it like it had actually happened.
The greatest part was, when we did get back to the farm, he did get to drive a combine!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Weekend at the farm
We traveled back to the farm in mid November to visit Grandpa and Grandma Fara. Brycen was in HEAVEN because Uncle Eric and Grandpa Fara were just finishing up harvesting corn.
When we arrived at their house late Friday night, Brycen was wound for sound. He was running around entertaining us all when all of a sudden he comes running in the living room saying,"everybody come look. Quick! It's a surprise!" He made sure we all went in the kitchen to see that there was a bowl of dinner mints in a small glass cabinet. (Brycen LOVES the soft dinner mints!) it was so funny!
This is Brycen on Saturday morning. The picture was taken around 6:45AM and his enthusiasm for farming shows.
Brycen had fun doing chores with Grandpa and feeding all of the animals. While doing chores, Brycen told Grandpa that, "he had a lot of jobs to do." They drove the Massey tractor to feed a bale of hay to the calves and filled buckets of corn too. Brycen loved the kittoes and sometimes attempted to pick them up but settled for petting them while chasing them around.
We visited Great Grandpa and Grandma Fara on Saturday night in Manning. Brycen had a great time having supper with them and exploring their house. He had fun playing with the cards and tractors there too. He even left with a new tiick!
We saw a small baby bull snake sunning itself on Saturday while exploring.
Brycen in the Massey.
Probably the highlight of the trip was when he got to ride in the combine with Uncle Eric and Katy. He was so interested in how things worked and had some questions but did a lot of observing. The fun came when he got to swing the oggor out and dump the corn into the wagon. He even got to DRIVE the combine for a few minutes!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Brycen's big announcement!
Brycen is excited to announce he will be a big brother in March!
We had a gal from Kirkwood make us a cake with the sealed envelope from our ultrasound tech. We had tried this with Brycen but our plan backfired... We're wiser now.
Our gender reveal cake:
Burke , Brycen and Mom cut open the cake on Wednesday, Nov. 6th!
It's a boy!
We've made it!
Brycen has completed quite the potty training journey! He first started going on the potty last year in September at just 1 1/2 years old. Of course, we knew this was just a fluke, but he continued to go daily, sometimes multiple times per day for months afterwards when we would sit him on his potty seat. At first, we thought he would be a breeze and he'd be completely potty trained by 2 years old! What an accomplishment... then reality set in.
We had multiple potty books and at first had fun reading while sitting in the bathroom. Well, he was never quite ready on his own terms. There was a time between February and April that going potty was a point of contention and he refused to go. It was frustrating for us, but we knew he was still young yet.
During the summer, he had the opportunity to see Addie and Peyton going potty at Jean's house all of the time and he would often go as well, but was never to the point where he told us before he needed to go. From the beginning, we rewarded Brycen with stickers and we had gone through multiple sticker boards for his hundreds of stickers. We would bring the potty seat with us on trips to Grandparent's houses and he would go at routine times. He got in the habit of always going after every meal and before bath time.
The big change came when two different events happened- new school and moving to the new house. Brycen was still in cloth diapers when he started his new school but I am sure his attitude changed a little bit in his new environment. He noticed all of the other kids in his classroom lining up for potty time and going to the bathroom multiple times each day and I'm sure he wanted to be classified as a big kid like those who wore underwear, too.
When we moved to our new house, we finally had time to commit to Brycen's potty training efforts. Before we were split between two homes on the weekends and our new house didn't have plumbing until days before we moved in. It was difficult to provide consistency at that time. After we moved in, we started setting the timer on the microwave for every hour and made a habit of going when the timer went off. When we were doing this we let him wear his underwear and he loved it! There were times where we by-passed the sticker and rewarded him with candy corn and he caught on pretty quickly.
I'd say within two weeks of the timer and reminding him to go after a length of time he was potty trained. We've taken long car rides, been to church, and out in public shopping or at a restaurant multiple times without any accidents. That is of today, November 5th. :) We still use pull-ups at night, not necessarily because he's had accidents (only one) but because we have a package of them to use and it provides a safety net.
We're proud of Brycen!
We had multiple potty books and at first had fun reading while sitting in the bathroom. Well, he was never quite ready on his own terms. There was a time between February and April that going potty was a point of contention and he refused to go. It was frustrating for us, but we knew he was still young yet.
During the summer, he had the opportunity to see Addie and Peyton going potty at Jean's house all of the time and he would often go as well, but was never to the point where he told us before he needed to go. From the beginning, we rewarded Brycen with stickers and we had gone through multiple sticker boards for his hundreds of stickers. We would bring the potty seat with us on trips to Grandparent's houses and he would go at routine times. He got in the habit of always going after every meal and before bath time.
The big change came when two different events happened- new school and moving to the new house. Brycen was still in cloth diapers when he started his new school but I am sure his attitude changed a little bit in his new environment. He noticed all of the other kids in his classroom lining up for potty time and going to the bathroom multiple times each day and I'm sure he wanted to be classified as a big kid like those who wore underwear, too.
When we moved to our new house, we finally had time to commit to Brycen's potty training efforts. Before we were split between two homes on the weekends and our new house didn't have plumbing until days before we moved in. It was difficult to provide consistency at that time. After we moved in, we started setting the timer on the microwave for every hour and made a habit of going when the timer went off. When we were doing this we let him wear his underwear and he loved it! There were times where we by-passed the sticker and rewarded him with candy corn and he caught on pretty quickly.
I'd say within two weeks of the timer and reminding him to go after a length of time he was potty trained. We've taken long car rides, been to church, and out in public shopping or at a restaurant multiple times without any accidents. That is of today, November 5th. :) We still use pull-ups at night, not necessarily because he's had accidents (only one) but because we have a package of them to use and it provides a safety net.
We're proud of Brycen!
Trick or Treat!
This year Brycen really enjoyed Halloween and had a funtime getting into the whole holiday. This year he went as Superman because he is very interested in all of his capes and super heros.
We carved pumpkins to make a jack-I-lantern one night.
The finished product.
Showing off all of his candy!
He was so proud!
It's a bird, it's a plane, no... it's Superman!
We went trick-or-treating at our old neighborhood in Swisher. It was familiar and fun to see old friends and neighbors. Most of all, it was a short trip on a very cold night!
Brycen liked picking the design when we drew the face but didn't like to pull out the cold slimy seeds...
The Wrestling Show
This show takes place on Mom & Dad's bed always starts with a hand shake and consists of many take-downs, reversals, escapes, among other wrestling moves. Over the summer, when Burke was working late at the house, Brycen really missed this time with Dad but that soon was forgotten after we moved and Dad was home for the nightly event.
Recently, they have been wrestling occasionally on the spare bed and Brycen has told Burke to be "the great sleeping bear" from one of his favorite Bernstein Bears books. While Burke is pretending to sleep, Brycen will climb the bed and attempt to crawl over the great sleeping bear. It's then that Burke wakes up and they start all over again. No matter the nightly routine, Brycen likes to have his last burst of energy right before settling down for bedtime books and stories.
Pumpkin Patch!
The first weekend of October, Brycen spent the weekend with Grandpa and Grandma Blanchard while Daddy went to a Hawkeye football game and Mom worked at Kirkwood's Family Day. We took Brycen over to their house on Friday night and Brycen immediately went over to the kitchen set that Dan & Jo have and started cooking.
After supper, Brycen had a slight meltdown when he realized that Mom & Dad were leaving. It had been at least 5 weeks since he'd had a night away from us and a lot of change had happened in those weeks. After some long good-bye's he was fine a few minutes after we had left.
Even though the weather was less than desirable, it being cold, cloudy and a light drizzle in the early morning, Brycen had fun being outside. They fed apples to the horses and cows right away in the morning and it was a good thing that he had his rain boots packed!
Later on, they drove to a pumpkin patch in Grinnell. Brycen had so much fun going on a hay rack ride, jumping on a large trampoline and seeing animals. They also stopped at another farm to pick out pumpkins. Brycen came home with all sorts of stories about what they did and he was very proud of the two large pumpkins, painted pumpkin, smaller pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn that he strategically placed on the front porch.
I think Grandpa and Grandma had just as much fun as Brycen and will cherish the memories forever!
After supper, Brycen had a slight meltdown when he realized that Mom & Dad were leaving. It had been at least 5 weeks since he'd had a night away from us and a lot of change had happened in those weeks. After some long good-bye's he was fine a few minutes after we had left.
Even though the weather was less than desirable, it being cold, cloudy and a light drizzle in the early morning, Brycen had fun being outside. They fed apples to the horses and cows right away in the morning and it was a good thing that he had his rain boots packed!
Later on, they drove to a pumpkin patch in Grinnell. Brycen had so much fun going on a hay rack ride, jumping on a large trampoline and seeing animals. They also stopped at another farm to pick out pumpkins. Brycen came home with all sorts of stories about what they did and he was very proud of the two large pumpkins, painted pumpkin, smaller pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn that he strategically placed on the front porch.
I think Grandpa and Grandma had just as much fun as Brycen and will cherish the memories forever!
Being 2 1/2
In September, Brycen was officially 2 and a half years old... already! I thought I'd do a quick blog post about him being 2 1/2 years old. :)
- Brycen continues to amaze Burke and I with what comes out of his mouth (in a good way). His vocabulary is amazing and his ability to use words in the correct context is so much fun. Jolene even made a comment recently saying conversations with Brycen can be compared to having a conversation with a 40 year old man.
- Brycen is decisive (always has been) but now that he is going through more aggressive stages, the mind games and word twists are harder and harder to pull off.
- We no longer have to have matching clothes every day. (Whew!) For a while there, it was difficult to dress him because he'd be convinced things didn't match. He's more concerned if the shirts fit comfortably over his head when putting them on and taking them off.
- Brycen is still a mama's boy. At 9 months old, someone told me that it would wear off... and at 2 years old I was told that it was just a phase... I think he's stuck in this "phase." He truly loves his Daddy but whenever times are tough or he gets the slightest bit emotional- it's Mom that he wants. This is very apparent at bedtime when reading books.
- Brycen loves to wrestle his Daddy! He's started calling it "The Wrestling Show" after bath time. He has been doing this for about 6 months now, but it's an expectation every night.
- Brycen wears all 3T clothes, size 8 shoes, and wears baseball caps that nearly fit on my head. He has been weighing between 37-39 pounds for about 5 months or so now but continues to stretch out. Since his 2 year checkup in March, he's grown over 2 inches!
- Brycen's favorite books are The Truck Book, I-Spy books, Mouse Soup, Tractor Power & What's New on the Farm, and The Spooky Old Tree. We try to keep our bedtime routine short, but it usually lasts at least 20 minutes. It involves about 3 books (depending on length), a prayer, and a story or two. It always ends with "good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."
- His favorite toys are his many tractors, wagons, sprayer, combine, and other farm machinery. He plays with these daily. He still likes his dinosaurs that hid under his bed, but they're a distant second to the farm equipment. He loves riding his bike, digging in the garden or dirt, helping Daddy with work around the house, sweeping, and helping Mom with laundry.
- Brycen is now potty trained! Yay!
- His favorite foods are still fruits, that has not changed. He enjoyed the late summer harvest of pears and apples from Grandpa and Grandma Blanchard's trees. He eats a lot of mandarin oranges, tortillas, bananas, and toast. His favorite meat is a pork chop. Especially Fareway meat counter's smoked chops- he could almost eat an entire chop to himself if we let him. He still won't eat things that don't look physically appealing to him (rice, some veggies, hamburger meat). His most recent cravings have been chocolate milk and candy corn.
- He has been drinking out of normal cups for a few months now. We've put away all but one "sippy" cup to clear room in the cupboards.
- He goes to bed around 8:30 pm and wakes up around 6:30am. He naps usually between 12:30-2:30, depending on when he goes down for a nap it could be later but it is usually about 2 hours.
- Brycen knows left from right, and is starting to recognize more numbers. He understands his traffic lights, turn signals, the difference between an interstate and a highway (in his mind) and which side of the road we drive on. He's learned that he can get up after the first number on the clock says "6."
- Brycen has really started to grasp feelings, too. He understands how things make him feel and does a very good job communicating his feelings now.
- Brycen loves his super hero capes! He's caught on to Spider Man, Batman, and Superman just by the hype that Burke and I give them. He's got a Spiderman tooth brush and shoes, Batman hat, pajamas, and shirt, and he has Superman capes, pajamas and will be Superman for Halloween.
- He's a smart, loving, caring little boy!
- Brycen continues to amaze Burke and I with what comes out of his mouth (in a good way). His vocabulary is amazing and his ability to use words in the correct context is so much fun. Jolene even made a comment recently saying conversations with Brycen can be compared to having a conversation with a 40 year old man.
- Brycen is decisive (always has been) but now that he is going through more aggressive stages, the mind games and word twists are harder and harder to pull off.
- We no longer have to have matching clothes every day. (Whew!) For a while there, it was difficult to dress him because he'd be convinced things didn't match. He's more concerned if the shirts fit comfortably over his head when putting them on and taking them off.
- Brycen is still a mama's boy. At 9 months old, someone told me that it would wear off... and at 2 years old I was told that it was just a phase... I think he's stuck in this "phase." He truly loves his Daddy but whenever times are tough or he gets the slightest bit emotional- it's Mom that he wants. This is very apparent at bedtime when reading books.
- Brycen loves to wrestle his Daddy! He's started calling it "The Wrestling Show" after bath time. He has been doing this for about 6 months now, but it's an expectation every night.
- Brycen wears all 3T clothes, size 8 shoes, and wears baseball caps that nearly fit on my head. He has been weighing between 37-39 pounds for about 5 months or so now but continues to stretch out. Since his 2 year checkup in March, he's grown over 2 inches!
- Brycen's favorite books are The Truck Book, I-Spy books, Mouse Soup, Tractor Power & What's New on the Farm, and The Spooky Old Tree. We try to keep our bedtime routine short, but it usually lasts at least 20 minutes. It involves about 3 books (depending on length), a prayer, and a story or two. It always ends with "good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."
- His favorite toys are his many tractors, wagons, sprayer, combine, and other farm machinery. He plays with these daily. He still likes his dinosaurs that hid under his bed, but they're a distant second to the farm equipment. He loves riding his bike, digging in the garden or dirt, helping Daddy with work around the house, sweeping, and helping Mom with laundry.
- Brycen is now potty trained! Yay!
- His favorite foods are still fruits, that has not changed. He enjoyed the late summer harvest of pears and apples from Grandpa and Grandma Blanchard's trees. He eats a lot of mandarin oranges, tortillas, bananas, and toast. His favorite meat is a pork chop. Especially Fareway meat counter's smoked chops- he could almost eat an entire chop to himself if we let him. He still won't eat things that don't look physically appealing to him (rice, some veggies, hamburger meat). His most recent cravings have been chocolate milk and candy corn.
- He has been drinking out of normal cups for a few months now. We've put away all but one "sippy" cup to clear room in the cupboards.
- He goes to bed around 8:30 pm and wakes up around 6:30am. He naps usually between 12:30-2:30, depending on when he goes down for a nap it could be later but it is usually about 2 hours.
- Brycen knows left from right, and is starting to recognize more numbers. He understands his traffic lights, turn signals, the difference between an interstate and a highway (in his mind) and which side of the road we drive on. He's learned that he can get up after the first number on the clock says "6."
- Brycen has really started to grasp feelings, too. He understands how things make him feel and does a very good job communicating his feelings now.
- Brycen loves his super hero capes! He's caught on to Spider Man, Batman, and Superman just by the hype that Burke and I give them. He's got a Spiderman tooth brush and shoes, Batman hat, pajamas, and shirt, and he has Superman capes, pajamas and will be Superman for Halloween.
- He's a smart, loving, caring little boy!
The BIG Move!
The time had finally come and we were ready to move. It came down to Friday's (September 20th) electrical inspection and even at 5:45 pm when Alliant Energy turned our gas heat connection on. We were set to go, and Brycen was having fun packing up his things to move. Since we first started framing the new house, Brycen knew exactly which room was his. It became even more exciting when the first coat of paint went on and he was special enough to have a blue wall in his room.
As shelving went up in the closets, and carpet was laid earlier in the week, we started taking more and more each day. We kept telling Brycen how he would get to take a nap in his new room on Saturday afternoon. Grandpa Fara drove over on Friday night and was there in the morning when Brycen woke up. He was EXCITED! We started packing up the two trailers, three pickups, and two Highlanders that morning. Brycen got to help with a few things in his room and had fun directing traffic. We had already moved quite a few of his toys to the new house and had them in a corner of the basement so he could play out of the way.
Once lunchtime came, we had the bedrooms set up and Grandma Blanchard was able to stay at the house while Brycen took his nap in the comfort of his bed in his new room. By Saturday night, we had most of our possessions at the new house stuffed in the garage and corners of the basement. We were blessed to have wonderful helpers! Waking up on Sunday morning was a new experience getting used to the train whistles in Walford. No one told us about those! Brycen luckily slept through them until a little after six. We took another trip over to Swisher and gathered the rest of our things and spent the rest of Sunday settling in.
Otis spent two nights with us at the new house before going to Grandpa and Grandma Blanchard's house for a while. We needed to have black dirt delivered in order to have the lawn seeded. He spent about a week in Belle Plaine before going to Chris Riddle's in Grinnell for two weeks.
Burke and I took the entire next week off when transitioning, which was a very smart move. There were two days where Burke and I were able to go to Brycen's school together and Brycen really liked that. We closed on our house in Swisher on Friday, September 27th and ended the week when we both picked Brycen up early from school.
Brycen had very few moments where he missed our home in Swisher. There were about three or four times where he had cried because he missed his old home and neighbors. He was always full of questions why we have a new house and why we don't live in Swisher anymore. Overall, Brycen took moving very well. By the time our move day finally came, he had spent countless hours on weekends and week nights at our new home.
It was early on when he decided he needed to bring his tool bench and all his tools over to help Daddy, Grandpa, and Aaron. Grandma Blanchard was a big help when she brought two tubs full of old tractors and other trucks to have in the basement to play with. The tractors had many hours outside in the dirt while we were putting in the underground fence and building the screen porch.
Now Brycen likes to listen for the trains that go through town and race toward his room or the front door in order to see them. He loves his new room and all the places that he now keeps his toys. Although he doesn't get downstairs very often, he has spent many hours in the basement playing with tractors and other toys. He's got full rein of the basement and enjoys the very long run of open space to ride in his car or take a stroll on his bike.
Another challenge is keeping Brycen concentrated on his supper rather than distracted by everything else. We now eat at the kitchen table for supper every night and we pull up to the bar-height counter for breakfast every morning. There is something about the lower height of the chair that tempts Brycen to get out, but he does alright.
We couldn't be more proud of the little guy going through so many changes at one time. He had his last day at Jean's house, said good-bye to friends he'd known his whole life, started a new daycare, and moved to a new house within three weeks. We're lucky to have such a good little guy who really "gets it" and asks a lot of questions.
As shelving went up in the closets, and carpet was laid earlier in the week, we started taking more and more each day. We kept telling Brycen how he would get to take a nap in his new room on Saturday afternoon. Grandpa Fara drove over on Friday night and was there in the morning when Brycen woke up. He was EXCITED! We started packing up the two trailers, three pickups, and two Highlanders that morning. Brycen got to help with a few things in his room and had fun directing traffic. We had already moved quite a few of his toys to the new house and had them in a corner of the basement so he could play out of the way.
Once lunchtime came, we had the bedrooms set up and Grandma Blanchard was able to stay at the house while Brycen took his nap in the comfort of his bed in his new room. By Saturday night, we had most of our possessions at the new house stuffed in the garage and corners of the basement. We were blessed to have wonderful helpers! Waking up on Sunday morning was a new experience getting used to the train whistles in Walford. No one told us about those! Brycen luckily slept through them until a little after six. We took another trip over to Swisher and gathered the rest of our things and spent the rest of Sunday settling in.
Otis spent two nights with us at the new house before going to Grandpa and Grandma Blanchard's house for a while. We needed to have black dirt delivered in order to have the lawn seeded. He spent about a week in Belle Plaine before going to Chris Riddle's in Grinnell for two weeks.
Burke and I took the entire next week off when transitioning, which was a very smart move. There were two days where Burke and I were able to go to Brycen's school together and Brycen really liked that. We closed on our house in Swisher on Friday, September 27th and ended the week when we both picked Brycen up early from school.
Brycen had very few moments where he missed our home in Swisher. There were about three or four times where he had cried because he missed his old home and neighbors. He was always full of questions why we have a new house and why we don't live in Swisher anymore. Overall, Brycen took moving very well. By the time our move day finally came, he had spent countless hours on weekends and week nights at our new home.
It was early on when he decided he needed to bring his tool bench and all his tools over to help Daddy, Grandpa, and Aaron. Grandma Blanchard was a big help when she brought two tubs full of old tractors and other trucks to have in the basement to play with. The tractors had many hours outside in the dirt while we were putting in the underground fence and building the screen porch.
Now Brycen likes to listen for the trains that go through town and race toward his room or the front door in order to see them. He loves his new room and all the places that he now keeps his toys. Although he doesn't get downstairs very often, he has spent many hours in the basement playing with tractors and other toys. He's got full rein of the basement and enjoys the very long run of open space to ride in his car or take a stroll on his bike.
Another challenge is keeping Brycen concentrated on his supper rather than distracted by everything else. We now eat at the kitchen table for supper every night and we pull up to the bar-height counter for breakfast every morning. There is something about the lower height of the chair that tempts Brycen to get out, but he does alright.
We couldn't be more proud of the little guy going through so many changes at one time. He had his last day at Jean's house, said good-bye to friends he'd known his whole life, started a new daycare, and moved to a new house within three weeks. We're lucky to have such a good little guy who really "gets it" and asks a lot of questions.
Making a smooth transition
Someone had once told me (I think Jean) that the first two weeks were the hardest on a child's transition to a new daycare/environment. This was very true in Brycen's case. Every morning at the times I would drop him off, he would have an absolute break-down about being left there and ask if he could be picked up early. There were a few days in his second week that I was able to pick him up early and he really enjoyed that.
In the start of his third week, his attitude completely changed... like turning a light switch! I had dropped him off, got a few hugs and a kiss and he walked away with no tears. It was such a welcome change for his teachers, me, and mostly Brycen. I think his anxiety of going to a new school was starting to fade and he was even starting to talk more about school when he was at home. I received a lot of good comments from his teachers saying that he was a very nice boy, well mannered, and comments about his intelligence and vocabulary.
I knew that once Brycen opened up and started getting comfortable in his classroom he would start to show his true colors and personality. He started to have friends at school and in a short period of time he learned all of the names of the kids in his class and their parents that he saw drop them off and pick them up. I am amazed when we pull up in the parking lot and he can tell me who's mom or dad is getting in the car.
We have kept the tradition to eat two mangoes on the way to school each day. Luckily for Brycen as we started to see the bottom of the bag, Grandpa Fara was coming that same weekend to bring him a new bag of mangoes. Needless to say, Brycen was very excited to see Grandpa and his special delivery.
The third week at HC marked our very last week living in our home in Swisher. We had grown to love watching Brad and Sara head for the school bus every morning before we left and all the fun times they had playing at the end of the day. The last weeks we lived in Swisher were very busy and we often were spending time at the new house in Walford before coming home to Swisher, limiting our daylight hours with Brad and Sara.
There was so much fun each and every day in our short little 12 minute commute to jean's house! It was a challenge to see if we could find the cows just before the Swisher corner, we had fun watching for planes to land at the Cedar Rapids airport as we drove by, nearly every day we saw the horses on highway 965, it was a race to see who could point out the wind turbine at Kirkwood, the diggers/dump truck/"maintaders" at the county maintenance shed. Brycen learned all about stop lights while we were driving to see if we can catch the green light on Wright Brother's Blvd, and it was fun watching the construction going up by McDonalds. Nearly every day we would see some geese by the pond on 965 and we had fun learning to count by seeing how many school bus's we could see when driving through College Community's campus. (Sometimes too many to count!)
Lucky for us, there are just as many construction vehicles and even more horses on the drive to Cedar Rapids on Highway 151. :)
Starting Harvest Christian Week 1
Brycen started Harvest Christian Daycare on Tuesday, September 3rd. We made the decision to send him to this facility because of many positive reasons: its Christian environment, location, convenient hours (6:30am-6pm), and the fact that Brycen can stay at Harvest Christian up until the day he starts at College Community Schools. They have a preschool, before and after school program, and even bus students to the College Community Schools every morning/afternoon.
The environment is quite the change for Brycen because he has been so blessed to have Jean's attention in such a small group setting with only two other girls. He has quite a few kids who are in his class of 2 year olds. His teachers are Miss Joyce, Miss Kim, and the third often rotates between Mr. Christian and Miss Mary.
Since we learned that Brycen would be leaving Jean's house, the other two girls we were staring "school" so naturally that is what we were calling Brycen's new daycare. (It's stuck ever since.) Brycen had visited his school once but not during the daytime where it was full of children in his class and had not had the opportunity to meet his teachers yet.
The first day: Brycen had not quite grasped the new concept that he was going to school and not to Jean's house, so when we loaded up to leave that Tuesday morning (much earlier than normal due to the longer commute) he was a little shaken. It was all I could do to tell him that if he didn't cry he could have some mangoes that Grandpa Fara had given him and I had cleverly placed in the car for bribery. He ate his mangoes when we got close to school and we got ready to walk in.
Once we arrived at his classroom, he (and I) were completely overwhelmed! In the mornings, the class of 2 year old and three year old children are all in the same room during 'drop off' time. There were about 20 little kids in his classroom playing with toys, singing, screaming, running around, etc. I am sure you can imagine a chaotic classroom of wee little ones.
Brycen had his hat on (of course) and he grasped me with all he had and started crying. He wanted to go with me and he didn't want me to leave him there, etc. He kept asking why I had to go and at the very end I told him that he would be okay and he will have a good day. He looked at me and said are you sure? It was hard to keep the tears back!
After about three or four minutes of multiple hugs, squeezes and kisses I attempted to leave the room. He ran after me saying, "One more hug, Mommy!" What helped is that his teacher, Miss Joyce, noticed it was going to be a rough transition for him and started to read a very familiar book "One Monkey too many" to the class and he joined in.
When I came to pick him up he was very happy to see me and said he had a good day. His teachers said he calmed down after about five minutes and was very shy throughout the day. I was amazed at how he was able to tell me all about his day and he had already picked up many of the other kids' names in his class so quickly.
The drop-off times did not get easier as the week went on, in fact the process to leave his classroom started to be drawn out with him crying and his need for just "one more hug." But each day he was always happy, smiling and seemed to have a good day. He was doing well at nap time. He sleeps on a mat with his same blanket that he had always had from Jean's house. The center turns down the lights and plays soft music during nap time but it's not expected to be completely quiet during this time.
Brycen was eating well too, naturally. Brycen and I have always had breakfast together... since he was about 10 months old and started eating eggs with me. At Jean's she would also feed the kids in the morning and he has forever been used to eating two breakfasts. This did not change at HC, he would be fed breakfast in the morning, a mid-morning snack, lunch, and a snack after nap time. He rarely has a report that he ate "most" of his food, it's nearly always checked in the box that states "ate all."
On Friday morning of the first week, Brycen woke in the early morning hours crying. He asked over and over if it was a school day and I did my best to avoid answering the question and try to get him to go back to sleep, but he was persistent. I told him that yes, it was a school day but it was still night time and we needed to go back to sleep.
He insisted that I stay with him and not leave him in his room. I caved in and grabbed a blanket to curl up on the floor next to his bed. A few minutes later, he would check on me in a panic asking "will you pick me up early?" I had no idea where he thought of that, but I promised him that I would that day. He didn't go back to sleep, but kept checking on me every other minute at the verge of crying with a little hyperventilation and asking if I would pick him up early. Luckily, I knew that it was a strong possibility that I could sneak out a few minutes early that day and even though Brycen cannot tell time, he would love to know that I kept my promise.
His drop-offs for the next week were all the same, very dramatic and even the car ride to school was torture for him. To make the car ride a little easier, every morning we would pick one of Grandma Blanchard's apples in a baggie and he would eat that on the way in the car. We broke our rule of not eating food in the car, but under the circumstances it was alright.
The environment is quite the change for Brycen because he has been so blessed to have Jean's attention in such a small group setting with only two other girls. He has quite a few kids who are in his class of 2 year olds. His teachers are Miss Joyce, Miss Kim, and the third often rotates between Mr. Christian and Miss Mary.
Since we learned that Brycen would be leaving Jean's house, the other two girls we were staring "school" so naturally that is what we were calling Brycen's new daycare. (It's stuck ever since.) Brycen had visited his school once but not during the daytime where it was full of children in his class and had not had the opportunity to meet his teachers yet.
The first day: Brycen had not quite grasped the new concept that he was going to school and not to Jean's house, so when we loaded up to leave that Tuesday morning (much earlier than normal due to the longer commute) he was a little shaken. It was all I could do to tell him that if he didn't cry he could have some mangoes that Grandpa Fara had given him and I had cleverly placed in the car for bribery. He ate his mangoes when we got close to school and we got ready to walk in.
Once we arrived at his classroom, he (and I) were completely overwhelmed! In the mornings, the class of 2 year old and three year old children are all in the same room during 'drop off' time. There were about 20 little kids in his classroom playing with toys, singing, screaming, running around, etc. I am sure you can imagine a chaotic classroom of wee little ones.
Brycen had his hat on (of course) and he grasped me with all he had and started crying. He wanted to go with me and he didn't want me to leave him there, etc. He kept asking why I had to go and at the very end I told him that he would be okay and he will have a good day. He looked at me and said are you sure? It was hard to keep the tears back!
After about three or four minutes of multiple hugs, squeezes and kisses I attempted to leave the room. He ran after me saying, "One more hug, Mommy!" What helped is that his teacher, Miss Joyce, noticed it was going to be a rough transition for him and started to read a very familiar book "One Monkey too many" to the class and he joined in.
When I came to pick him up he was very happy to see me and said he had a good day. His teachers said he calmed down after about five minutes and was very shy throughout the day. I was amazed at how he was able to tell me all about his day and he had already picked up many of the other kids' names in his class so quickly.
The drop-off times did not get easier as the week went on, in fact the process to leave his classroom started to be drawn out with him crying and his need for just "one more hug." But each day he was always happy, smiling and seemed to have a good day. He was doing well at nap time. He sleeps on a mat with his same blanket that he had always had from Jean's house. The center turns down the lights and plays soft music during nap time but it's not expected to be completely quiet during this time.
Brycen was eating well too, naturally. Brycen and I have always had breakfast together... since he was about 10 months old and started eating eggs with me. At Jean's she would also feed the kids in the morning and he has forever been used to eating two breakfasts. This did not change at HC, he would be fed breakfast in the morning, a mid-morning snack, lunch, and a snack after nap time. He rarely has a report that he ate "most" of his food, it's nearly always checked in the box that states "ate all."
On Friday morning of the first week, Brycen woke in the early morning hours crying. He asked over and over if it was a school day and I did my best to avoid answering the question and try to get him to go back to sleep, but he was persistent. I told him that yes, it was a school day but it was still night time and we needed to go back to sleep.
He insisted that I stay with him and not leave him in his room. I caved in and grabbed a blanket to curl up on the floor next to his bed. A few minutes later, he would check on me in a panic asking "will you pick me up early?" I had no idea where he thought of that, but I promised him that I would that day. He didn't go back to sleep, but kept checking on me every other minute at the verge of crying with a little hyperventilation and asking if I would pick him up early. Luckily, I knew that it was a strong possibility that I could sneak out a few minutes early that day and even though Brycen cannot tell time, he would love to know that I kept my promise.
His drop-offs for the next week were all the same, very dramatic and even the car ride to school was torture for him. To make the car ride a little easier, every morning we would pick one of Grandma Blanchard's apples in a baggie and he would eat that on the way in the car. We broke our rule of not eating food in the car, but under the circumstances it was alright.
Friday, October 25, 2013
A week with Family
Now that our lives are a little settled in, I have many blog posts that are half written I'd like to finish up and put on his online scrap book. Here I go!
Last week of August 2013: Brycen spent the week between Jean's House and Harvest Christian Daycare with Grandma Blanchard and Gramps and had a long weekend on the Farm with his cousin Logan and Grandpa and Grandma Fara.
Brycen had a lot of fun in Belle Plaine, unfortunately we had some of the HOTTEST weather of the summer and year during this week. Despite the heat, they still had a lot of fun playing outside, picking apples, feeding the horses and cows in the pasture behind the house, and playing with lots of play dough!
At the farm, Grandpa and Grandma Fara lined up that Logan and Brycen could spend a few days at the Farm together. They had so much fun going on tractor rides, feeding the cows, petting the kittens, and doing lots of chores. Brycen could have stayed even longer, he loved his time on the farm, the weather was great and I know he hopes that it will be a yearly tradition.
Last week of August 2013: Brycen spent the week between Jean's House and Harvest Christian Daycare with Grandma Blanchard and Gramps and had a long weekend on the Farm with his cousin Logan and Grandpa and Grandma Fara.
Brycen had a lot of fun in Belle Plaine, unfortunately we had some of the HOTTEST weather of the summer and year during this week. Despite the heat, they still had a lot of fun playing outside, picking apples, feeding the horses and cows in the pasture behind the house, and playing with lots of play dough!
At the farm, Grandpa and Grandma Fara lined up that Logan and Brycen could spend a few days at the Farm together. They had so much fun going on tractor rides, feeding the cows, petting the kittens, and doing lots of chores. Brycen could have stayed even longer, he loved his time on the farm, the weather was great and I know he hopes that it will be a yearly tradition.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Last day at Jeans House
Brycen's last day at Jean's house was full of emotions! We came down the steps to Addie and Andrew hiding under a mountain of balloons which was a lot of fun for them! They had a big mural on the wall that they had painted earlier in the week.
Brycen didn't quite understand what was going on but knew that there was a fun party that day. We gave Jean a small book full of pictures since he had started. She gave him so many treasures and sentimental things. He got to bring home his pillow pod that Jean made him and he kept at her house, three books that were his favorites, a treasured jar of cicada bugs he had found outside, a photo album of pictures of Jean and his friends, and many, many amazing memories!
Below are a few pictures of his last day...
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| Brycen pointing out his rainbow he painted on the picture |
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| The wall in the basement |
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
State Fair 2013
We had the honor and opportunity to watch Grandpa FAA and Uncle Eric receive an award for farm conservation at the State Fair. We took the day off work and Brycen skipped daycare for an eventful day with lots of food and animals.
Brycen and Grandpa took a while to check out all of the tractors on display.
We went through the horse barn to admire all of the different breeds of horses.
The largest bull in the state of Iowa!
Brycen finally was able to hear an elk bugle!
Petting some real nice goats. He even got to feed them!
Going to see the bees! He was the cutest little bee at the fair!
Riding the SkyGlide with Grandpa and Grandma! We didn't know how he would do but he loved it and was upset when he didn't ride it back down the hill.
By far the best stop at the fair was our last stop with the baby animals. Brycen got to see baby calves, pigs, ducks, chickens, ostriches, geese, and more! He was so tired and really hated leaving but had a great day! He was such a good boy while we were there!
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