This Little Boy of Mine

I am not the girliest girl.

But I’m not tomboyish either. I used to look at other moms of boys in wonder, thinking - how will I ever find the energy to really know every action figure that goes into whatever it is that boys play with these days? I’m just not interested…

And now, here I am, the Mommy of an almost three year old boy who just automatically loved all things “boy”. I never taught him to look out the car window and point out concrete mixer trucks. I never encouraged him to identify train cars, dump trucks and bobcats…I couldn’t have because I didn’t know anything about them myself. 

I’ve never been more interested by a construction site than the one that is unfolding a couple of miles from our home - visiting it sometimes 3-4 days a week because Cade wants to see “what the ‘mans' are doing” there. 

I am riveted by this boy of mine because he makes me see the world through a whole new lens. Who knew that watching the laying of asphalt could be so fascinating?

This boy. He makes the world a whole new place for me…at age 40. 

I now know the difference between a bull dozer and a digger…and I’m so proud of it. 

Lyla & Cade - Summer 2014

We’re still here - we just don’t blog much anymore. I’m sad about that - it’s just so hard to find the time for anything anymore. But, I’m looking up right now and realizing that Lyla is almost 5 and Cade is nearing 3…time is flying by, and I want more than ever to capture who these beautiful little beings are as they grow. They grow into more amazing little people every, single day. 

So, here are a few fun facts about each of these sweets, off the top of my head. 

Lyla. She really is 4 (and a half) going on 10. Well, sort of. I love her passion for life and her happiness…she has this amazing ability to be an old soul and an impassioned child all at one time. I love her little personality. 

Last night I let her stay up late with me, which means a movie night with mommy and her choice of dessert. Last night she chose sugar cookies with purple icing and sprinkles. We try to keep these nights a secret from Cade, and when he asked for a treat after dinner, she whispered to me, “Mommy, I’m not going to have an after dinner treat because I know I’m going to have cookies later. That’s just too much sugar for me.” She stuck to it, too, even with Cade offered her Hershey’s kisses. 

Current interests: kindergarten (which she won’t attend for another year) and Sophia the First (an 8 year-old Disney princess). She loves kindergarten readiness activities and books, folders, books, pens and pencils. She loves crafting and pretending. And, she especially loves toys and playing. Tonight we played a game of monster between the four of us, and it was so funny the way she directed each scenario: “You be this, I’ll be that…"

Here, she won a contest at the neighborhood cookout in which she pulled the only yellow balloon out of a cooler full of water balloons. The girls running the contest really didn’t have a plan for the “winner”, and in seeing her excitement at winning, I told them they were going to have to think of something for her. They ran into their house and came back with this little purse. Lyla acted as if she’d won the lottery when she saw it: 

She loves putting her brother in dresses and surprising Lance & I. They’ll get really quiet upstairs and you can hear the vague commands in her voice - “Do this with your arm, Cade; put your leg here…” The next thing you know, they run out of her room, roaring with laughter and Cade is in one of her dresses, an old recital costume or something equally ridiculous. I love how they both think it’s just so funny. 

These two really are the best of friends. She worries over him, talks all the time about trying to include him with her “big” friends, although she usually forgets all about him the moment her friends arrive. But, they’re happy to see each other most mornings, and they really love spending time together. Watching this relationship evolve has undoubtedly been one of the most magical things I’ve experienced my whole life. 

Cade - aka Cade E. Bugg. This boy is all things boy that I never understood as a girl, having grown up with 2 sisters. He loves trains and trucks - I now am more versed in trucks and construction sites than I ever dreamed I would be. He loves big rigs, concrete mixer trucks, and dump trucks. Today, he asked Lance & I if he could stop at a construction site and watch the “mans” work. 

Here he is with his good friend, Sam. They were watching a truck load and unload a dumpster in Sam’s neighborhood. It was great summertime entertainment for them both - they were completely transfixed. 

We had our driveway re-done this summer (which has been a most painful process in our less than 3 year old home), and it was nonstop entertainment for Cade. He was so excited to see the concrete mixer truck come to his house. He heard it coming, looked out the window and yelled, “Mommy! It’s a concrete mixer truck coming to my house! It’s white! My favorite color!” Here, he took a picture with the man in the truck - I know he was scared in this photo, but he was determined to get inside the truck when the man offered: 

Cade E. Bugg is all things 2. Lance & I laugh at our text-book 2 year old. He is everything you expect from a raging 2 year old. He’s sweet as can be, but the tantrums sure can be trying. He climbed out of his crib a few weeks ago and has since refused naps. He often falls asleep in the car now in the afternoons, which is always a bedtime recipe for disaster. He also wakes up at least one time per night, usually at 3 a.m. and wants for us to lay beside his bed while he goes back to sleep. He is sweet. He is wild. He is just amazing to me. I love having a little boy. 

So, I would like to say that I’m going to blog about these beauties more consistently, and it is definitely my heart’s wish to do so. I just don’t want to miss a moment, and I want for all of us to have this to reflect upon years from now. I’ll keep trying.

Life is pretty trying these days - it’s hard to have a conversation with Lance, and I constantly hear my name being called throughout the house: “Mommy!” I try to remember that someday I will miss these days, because they really are magical. 

Some days it’s easier to imagine than others, but I know that I am the luckiest Mommy in the world to get to spend my days with these little miracles. 

20 Months!

A few things about our big, 20 month old boy. 

First of all, he's more and more fun every single day. He's slowly getting more focused on learning and repeating words…but tearing things apart is still a favorite past time.

Bedtime is grueling at best - lately our boy cries the moment we put him down and has been known to squall for up to 45 minutes. Cade is a boy who knows what he wants, and his sense of determination can be a bit baffling for all of us at times. 

He loves remote controls, phones, computers, Leap Pads and iPads. When he can't have these things, he will whine, moan and even scream. He certainly isn't afraid of a tantrum here and there. 

Lyla is the apple of his eye. He wants to go wherever she goes, and he always knows her whereabouts. 

And, he loves his Daddy. Loves. He has to wave goodbye to Daddy as he leaves for the hospital, and Daddy is frequently the first person he requests in the mornings. 

He's working on his words - hard. Latest favorites - Bye Bye to everything. My personal favorites - "Bye Bye Pee Pee", when Lyla flushes the toilet. 

A couple of my favorite moments with my "Love Bug" lately: 

-While putting him to bed the other night, I was rocking him and singing a favorite Fogelberg. He looked up at me and kissed me right on the mouth and then laid back on my shoulder.

-Today at nap time, I laid him in his bed and he looked up at me and said, "Bye Bye Mama." 

Sweet boy. 

Here he is eating his favorite: homemade ice cream. 

Cade the Eater!

Cade started using his fork and spoon all on his own - we think he's benefitting from watching his sister: