March 28

Today McClain told me all about his 'alien' friends. O-my gosh, I have a 4 year old (close to 5). And he has imaginary friend (and they are aliens). Again how did this happen so fast. Little boys imaginations are just to funny. All day today he would be playing and just out of the blue yell 'aliens', then he would ask me if I liked his alien friends, and then he told me they are green (lol). So I went with it all day, and told him I liked his alien friends, and asked them what they were doing. And he would tell me. In this picture we were outside playing on the swing and he was telling me all about his 'alien' friends and that they were climbing on the monkey bars and going up the rock wall and down the slide. Too funny, all of it. Leave it to McClain to have imaginary 'alien' friends. And not just one a whole bunch...

March 27

So boys were on Daddy time today, while I had to run to the grocery store. Notice they are both still in their jammies. But having a good time. Who knows what they ate for lunch...

March 26

McClain getting a hang on riding his sled. He really got going quick down that hill, you could hear him laughing all the way and when he got to the bottom he yelled up at his Dad, "that was fun, I want to go again, again a bunch!" My super sweet, snow babies... Just before we loaded up into the car to come home, McClain asked if he could 'Karate Chop' his snow man... We made a super cute snow man, with acorn eyes, a pine cone nose, pine tree needles smile with sticks for arms and a leaf for a hat...

I think I said this a couple of months ago, but now I am pretty sure, that today was our last visit to the snow for the year (who knows though, with this crazy weather). So after this last storm, the camp had plenty of snow to go play in again, we decided we would take the boys up for a day trip of snow fun. Its alot of packing and driving for a short time of play, but o-so worth it. And being able to go to the camp where the is so much snow, and no other people out playing in it. Awsome!!

March 25

McClain just woke up this morning and came and found Ashton and I playing in Ashton's room...

McClain: Mommy, I had a terrible nightmare

Me: I'm so sorry buddy, what was your nightmare about?

McClain: Daddy had to go to work, I hate Dad to work

That was no nightmare, Dad did go to work... Poor little guy, got up so early to help his Dad get ready for work, he thought it was just a bad dream...

March 24

Another one of McClains toys that Ashton has adopted (McClain still loves to get on and ride too) The little old pone-pone... Ashton actually likes this little guy, I put him up there and bounce it for him, and he giggles and talks and pulls on his ears. McClain and Ashton took turns riding the pony today. Hey I totally forgot that it turns on and makes whinnie and hoof beats. Gonna have to turn that on for him tomorrow...

March 23

Well looks like Ashton will share the same love for Thomas the Train that McClain has since he was just a baby. McClain goes in spurts with putting up the train track. He will go weeks without putting together a full track, although he probably does play with the actual trains almost every day. And because McClain can't really put a full big track up all by his self (guess that is also because they are put up on a shelf he can't reach), I have to help (have to help, haha, trains are one the toys I really like to play too). Any how this week we have been back on a kick, building tracks and watching Thomas, Lady and Salty go round and round. Go figure Ashton really likes it too... So let the train track building begin...

March 22

Another day of random fun, a picnic day. It was just barley warm enough to go out for a short picnic this afternoon. But we did it. Packed a little lunch box (yes for a picnic in the front yard), got out the table cloth and big blanket. Set it all up had a nice little lunch and watched all the big white clouds float by. A nice little lunch time break...

March 21

So, I love the chance to be able to do something just fun and silly and random with the boys. Some of my greatest memories as a child were of just random good at home fun. Picnics, a walk with the pigs, feeding the sheep, rolling down the back hill in a feed barrel. You know that kind of thing. Well that was my childhood. I can't give my kids a farm, but I can give them some good random fun. And my hope is that they will create great memories. So when I heard that we were expecting rain, I have a bright idea that we should go for a 'rainy' bike ride. McClain was all excited by the idea. So Sunday after noon came and went with no rain. So just before dark and just as I was getting ready to put Ashton into the bath, I saw the rain on the window. I yelled for McClain the rain is here, do you want to go for our 'rainy' bike ride. He jumped up, I grabbed the boys bundle clothes and a blanket. Then I heard it the hurricane winds. Errr... So I had to tell McClain sorry, Mom just can't ride a bike in that wind, and we would have to wait for tomorrow morning. Well this morning rolled around and no rain yet. Then I saw it, rain on the window, and no wind. So I grabbed boys bundle clothes again and blanket. I grabbed a sweatshirt and out we went. And the rain, well it was coming down pretty good. The boys were all bundled warm, plastic cover was down on the bike trailer, Mom was getting soaked. But I was smiling and laughing the whole time. And I saw smiles when I looked back...

March 20

Only in the Blackmon house would you find a full size ball pit in the middle of the living room. Only at the Blackmon house would you see a little boy with his new Diego work gloves digging in that ball pit with his new kid size shovel. Only in the Blackmon house.

March 19

Can you believe this kid loves V8? He has got to be one of the pickiest eaters ever. And I mean ever. But he loves this stuff (but he also loves tomato soup). He will ask often just out of the blue, Mom can I have some 'pomato' juice? So cute right. And I love that he loves it. A whole serving of veggies in each can. L-o-v-e that!

March 18

Duck, Duck, Goose. On the run from the jammies again after bath time...

March 17

So I am kind of a sucker for all those little holidays. I just love that it is an excuse to make a day a little extra apical. Even if its just a small thing. Like today St. Patrick's day, well all dressed in green so we could avoid any pinches. And we made sugar cookies, all yummy and frosted and sprinkled in with green sugar. Like I said just a few small things can make a day a little extra special.

March 16

Every night as it gets closer to 5pm McClain starts asking, when will Dad be home. I always give him the same answer, Dad will call us when he is on his way. Then after Clint calls, McClain asks, is Dad almost home, I always have the same answer, lets listen for his truck. Well as soon as he hears that loud truck come around the corner, he hits the door running. And they have the same routine every night, McClain runs out, greats Dad with a big squeeze, the open the gate, unload his truck, pull the truck behind the gate (McClain rides in the back) then into the garage, unlace Dad's boots, close up the garage and into the house for dinner time. Well Ashton has gotten into the routine now too. He hears the garage door go up and he is jumping up and down to get out side too. He also greets Dad with a big squeal, smiles, arms and legs going. But he really just can't wait to get into that truck and stand up in the driver seat and hold on to that steering wheel. So while the big boys are doing all the opening of gates and unloading of the truck, Ashton and I play in the drivers seat. Then when its time to pull the truck back, McClain gets a lift into the back and Dad jumps in the driver seat with Ashton. Then I give a wave bye-bye and run into the house and hope that dinners is not on fire...

March 15

Every baby finds thier drawer of fun in the kitchen... Ashton has found the cookie cutter drawer, and he thinks its tons of fun! I can't wait 'til he finds the pots and pans and spoons and tupperware. What is so exciting about all that stuff???

March 14

Ok, I swear this baby and this dino toy are just so dang cute. I mean look at that face, and look at that happy little green and purple dino. They even have the same big rosie cheeks. And then the dino sings and laughs and Ashton giggles and bounces. Ummm... I just want to squeeze them both.

March 13

Well after cleaning out the garage and a little inspiration for out friend Amber, Mom's bike and the boy's bike trailer have been dusted off. I honestly never thought I would find myself pulling a bike trailer loaded up with kiddos around, but here I am doing it and loving it. First off we all know how athletic I am (umm-humm, keep your snickers to your self) But it is actually really easy, I have not crashed once (ok I hit a few tree branches, but it was just me, the boys were completely untouched). So every afternoon when it is time to go out and wait for Dad to get home, we load up the bike trailer with a drink a snack and a binki and we hit the side walk. So far we have just stayed in the neighborhood. It's a great way to get some fresh air, get a little exercise and entertain some little boys.

March 12

McClain is still trying to recover and get his energy back after being sick. And this means that he hangs out and watches a lot of cartoons, which means he sees a lot of commercials, which means he sees a lot of things that he wants. So he saw a commercial with the game Operation (just what I need, small game pieces to be lost and never found again). Any how I told him he had been such a big boy and trying so hard to do what he needed to feel better, that I would take him to get his game. Well the time came to leave for the store and get his game, but he didn't feel up to it. So I promised that I would go get it for him and pick up dinner too. Well of course the store only had the Sponge Bob version of the game (I thought it would work for him, but you never know about him). Well it all worked out he was happy to have his new game. And even better Ashton was still napping when I got home, so the three of us sat down and played a round of Sponge Bob operation, we even followed the rules and finished game, McClain was the winner of course. It was the first game we all actually sat down, played the right way and completed. I see a family game night in our near future.

March 11

I love, love, love these curls! One of my very favorite things to do every night after bath time is to get a big smell of that yummy clean baby smell right from Ashton's cute curly locks. Then I brush it with my fingers and make all those little curls go every where. Love, love, love it. Clint so wants to give him a hair cute, but I just want him to be a little hippie boy with all those cute little curls.

March 10

Another first for McClain today. He was putting all of his toys away (not necessarily in the right home). I couldn't believe it. I had put Ashton down for his nap and went to go see what McClain was up to; when I walked into his room he simply told me that he had to clean up his mess. What am I hearing this right? And he said it as if it was something he did every day. Let me tell you he doesn't! We let him get what ever he wants out to play with all week long, and Thursday afternoon before Dad gets home all the toys and games in both boys rooms and where ever else they may have landed though out the house, they all find their homes (and that means I go through and pick them all up and put them away). Well guess he had enough of his mess for the week and he took matters into his own hands.

March 9

My poor sweet little guy, is still trying to recover from his latest little battle with evil Mr. sick. It has been a really long time since I have rocked this little guy to sleep. But today he climbed up on the rocking chair while I was rocking Ashton to sleep for his nap. And in just a few minutes he was fast asleep too.

March 8

Do you have any idea how many times I have told McClain you have to wash your hands? A lot. Well guess what for some reason it clicked tonight. After playing outside and coming in for dinner, he told me. Mom I have to wash my hands first. Really?? Awsome. Bet that won't happen again for a while...

March 7

Guess what?? Ashton now loves the ball pit. We kept just putting his toes in and playing around a little bit with him until he got used to it, now he gets mad when you walk by and don't put him in there. he thinks it is even better when get in there with him. So I will just fall backwards into the ball pit while holding him and he loves it. Then he will pick up the balls and throw them out of the ball pit and repeat over and over uh-o...uh-o...uh-o. To cute. Well until I have to pick up like 30 balls every night.

March 6

Can you believe this kid. I know he loves his food, and I love that he loves his food. But Clint thought it would be kinda funny (I guess it was) to let him get a little taste of a sliced lemon. Can you believe that he actually tasted it, made a funny face, tasted it again, made a funny face, tasted it, made a funny face, and then when Clint took it away he actually stuck his little face out there for some more. I am going to be loving giving this kids new foods. I mean one that will actually try things, fruits and veggies. So excited! Maybe it will make McClain willing to try some new things.

March 5

Like I said it is going to take McClain a while to get back to feeling good again. He has low energy and is feeling week from getting sick, having low steroid levels and then of course because they took so much blood from his for all his labs. Poor little guy didn't even make it up on to the couch before he fell asleep.

March 4

We are home! We are all home tonight. Clint made it home from Sacramento and McClain and I made it home from the hospital tonight. It has been a long week, but I don't think its over yet. Clint will be back to work on Monday and McClain and I will be back off to LA for follow up appointments. Then depending on how those follow up appointments go will depend on the rest of our week. Hopefully he is going to continue to recover nicely and this will just be another one of those bumps in the road. It is going to take a few days or week until McClain is feeling better, he has lost 2lbs and is so week and tiered from all the stress. It is so good to be home though and have McClain resting in his own bed and to hold my little smoochy again.

March 3

So we are still here in the hospital, and they at least have McClain's fluids replaced, his blood sugar back to normal, his sodium back to normal. But he is still feeling really crummy. He has tummy aches, he is tiered, he can't eat, its hard enough just trying to get him to drink (and all they have is DIET 7-up (really, what the hell)). And of course I am stressed to the max, because I can not handle seeing McClain like this, it kills me. At lease today he is awake, (he slept all day yesterday) he is crabby, (who wouldn't be) but awake. O, did I mention Clint is in Sacramento all week for a training class, so Mimi is at home with Ashton (which I know that he is perfectly fine), so I miss and worry about him too. A different kind of worry maybe more like a guilt, that I can't be in two places at once. It's hard to be a mom. Even though I hate McClain being in the hospital, and even more that he is so sick that he has to be here, and then even more that he has had to be here so many times, I am glad that I am able to be here for him 24/7. We are so lucky to have the family that we do, so I can know that Ashton is well taken care of and I can focus all my attention on McClain. I will be so glad when all this is behind him!

March 2

Well no picture today, because we are in the hospital. I was so afraid that McClain was going to end up dehydrated from being sick after his prednisone decrease. And well I was right. But not only is he dehydrated, but he is not making any of his won steroids yet so his blood sugar is low too. And feeling even more crummy.

March 1

My 'little' big boy is just not feeling well at all. Here we are finally off his prednisone, and he feels awful. I expected him to go though his normal few days of feeling crummy, just like he does after each decrease. But this one is taking the cake. I don't know if it is because he is completely off of them now, if it is because he went off to quickly. But he can hardly hold down any food, getting him to drink to keep up is not an easy task. And I am so afraid that he is going to end up dehydrated again. I can hardly stand this. I want him to be done feeling crummy!

February 28

Ashton has a new game... Ashton now loves to crawl away from me as quick as he can, then I follow him and keep teasing him that "I'm gonna get you", its so funny because that just makes him crack up and crawl even faster. He is still doing the army crawl, but boy-o-boy is he quick. So now we go all though the house giggling and laughing and crawling.