SNOW-not much but we'll take it!

Cale loves to play in the snow, but we haven't had much this winter. The evening of Feb. 13, it snowed so the next morning Jeff and Cale went out to play. He had a blast throwing snow balls and building a snowman.


Building a snowman

Winter fun

We have had a very mild winter this season! Lot's of temps in the 50s and 60s. We've spent lots of time playing games and hanging out!




Mom and Cale enjoying being outside on Feb. 23, 2012

Blowing bubbles with daddy



Playing on the little playground in the backyard

Just chilling

Aiden loves playing with this Silly Town toy!

He loves taking stacking cups and banging them together-he's one noisy kid!

Learning to play memory with the cards facing up with daddy. Cale also loves a game called Let's Go Fishing, a playful patterns shape making game, and cooties-a bug game

Gingerbread House

We totally missed getting our gingerbread house made in December around the holidays! Oops! But that didn't mean that we just didn't do it. We finally got around to doing ours on 2/4/12. Jeff and Cale mainly worked on it and they worked hard. Cale was so excited and proud of his first gingerbread house. Here are a few pictures from the day:


Notice Jeff with hair and a fu-man-chu which he has since shaved off

Cale wondering should I put this candy on the house or eat it-he chose eat it a lot of times!

Pushing the limits

This three year age is difficult some days. Cale is really into testing the boundaries right now and honestly has quite a few moments where he is not a good listener. We are trying to teach him about choices-good choices and not good/bad choices. When we ask if the behavior he just did was a good choice when he gets in trouble, he knows it was a bad choice and says it. It perplexes me that he yet continues to do those kinds of things that he knows is wrong. I think a lot of it is about being intentional and consistent with him-he needs to know that daddy and mommy love him, however there are boundaries set up and rules that need to be followed. For the most part, he is a really good kid! Just has those moments and when he has them, they can sometimes be full out battles. I just pray for the patience for me and Jeff to continue to be intentional and consistent with him-and some days that is just exhausting. I know he will continue to push the boundaries as he gets older as I am sure will Aiden. I just hope and pray we can discipline and teach them with love and grace and always keep in perspective the way God loves all!

Sharing a room

We have transitioned Aiden into Cale's room. I can say that it has not been super smooth. It's probably been about a month at least now and we have not had 1 single night were the boys have both stayed in the room the entire night. Usually Aiden winds up waking up at some point in between 10:30pm and 12am and we move him to his bouncy chair in the living room and go back to bed. He quickly goes back to sleep too. Then he wakes up around 3 to nurse. For almost the past week Cale has had an ear infection so he has been sleeping in our room because he has a cough and hasn't been sleeping well and we wanted Aiden to be able to sleep. So I have been on the couch and Jeff has slept with Cale-Cale moves so much that he would keep me awake all night, but
Jeff-that man can sleep through anything!

I know we will eventually get to where both boys are sleeping in their room together and Jeff and I will have our bed back I am sure for the most part except when kiddos get sick, have a bad dream or something like that. I will say that I am truly looking forward to the days where they both stay in the same room for an entire night!!!

Cramming it all in

This time in our lives is crazy busy and just some days plain crazy. I want to remember the good, the bad and the crazy! So I wanted to chronicle an evening in the Koziatek household right now. Some nights it's a little intense, but it's doable. Me and Jeff are usually worn out by like 8:30 after putting the kiddos down. Here's a typical night:
5:15-5:30ish-Brandi home from work
Aiden immediately wants to nurse when I get home because we've been apart all day
Nurse Aiden
6ish-cook dinner for family, at this point it's something quick every night or we have been ordering out a lot more lately too because that's some nights that's all I can handle
Around 6:15-sit down to a family dinner-all 4 of us. It's loud and crazy. Aiden is in a stage right now where he scream talks a lot-it's hilarious. He will just yell over and over again. If Jeff or I try to talk about anything, it's not even worth it, we constantly get interrupted so we usually just wait to talk until after the kids go to bed. Aiden usually get's fussy during dinner so a lot of times Jeff or I will do a bath for him while the other one continues eating.
Then around 6:45 Aiden is done for the day and wants to nurse again to go to sleep.
7:15-start getting Cale ready for bed-especially if it's bath night
7:30 Aiden is usually sound asleep by this time or a little earlier
7:45 Read books with Cale
8:00 Tuck Cale in bed
After 8:00-clean house, prepare for the next day, veg a watch TV for a while, or crash and go to sleep.

I am not typing this to complain, it's where we are at in life right now and honestly there are so many moments I love about this time of night. I just want to capture the craziness that is our family right now! Tonight, Aiden had me rolling with his yelling and then splashing like crazy in the tub. Cale was super talkative tonight at dinner. Cale and daddy pretending to be horses. These are the little moments in all the chaos that I love!

Brothers

I can't state enough how adorable Cale and Aiden are together. They truly are buddies and I can't wait to continue to see their relationship develop. Cale loves being in the same room as Aiden, loves to make him smile. And boy does Aiden just light up anytime Cale is in the room. That baby boy could be crying and Cale walks in and he starts giggling. It is the cutest, sweetest thing.




Ok, so he wasn't the happiest in this picture, but almost every other time with Cale he is super excited. I love his facial expression in this picture!

Aiden

What's Aiden up to these days-well almost 20lbs that little chunk. He has the most adorable chunky thighs and sweet dimple on in his cheeks. He has started to say some words-dada was his first, and I have heard gaga and mama a few times. He has also started sitting up all on his own-first starting about a week ago. He's still hit or miss with sleep-there is no consistency here, but I keep trying to remind myself that it's just a stage, we will get there someday! He still loves to nurse and is sometimes into baby food, and sometimes could just leave it. He has a sweet temperament still and I truly just love and adore him. And his smile-it just melts my heart!

Auto Show

We went to the auto show with my dad a few weeks ago. Jeff did a lot of work with them this year producing some commercials and radio spots. Cale had a great time sitting in all the cars and Aiden just enjoyed hanging out and riding on papa's shoulders. Here are some pics from the day.


Cale hanging in a sports car-my kind of kiddo!


Chilling on Papa's shoulder

And of course Cale had to ride on dad's shoulders



Aiden is into the expensive cars!