For Grammy and Papa

A few weeks ago we were having a webcam chat with Grammy and Papa when they asked Kai if he had been riding his plasma car this year.  We answered yes and the conversation moved on.  This post is to retract that statement.  The correct answer to that question is "Yes, the plasma car is getting ridden.  But, no, Kai does not ride it.  Finn does."  And boy, does he love to ride the plasma car!!  Whenever we enter the garage Finn makes a beeline for the plasma car.  It's been a great toy for him because it's nothing more than a ride-on toy with a working steering wheel.  He's gotten quite good at steering and he's getting more and more daring.  He can ride his car to the top of the driveway and he even is confident enough to pick up some speed going down.  And, when we are playing in the garage, he rides circles around the car.  Here are some pictures and video.  Hope you enjoy watching.  I just think it's so cute to watch him from behind.

And here you can see what happens when Reid comes home.....

Finally, the boys got a package from their Grammy and Papa last week and they loved it.  Since Kai loves dinosaurs, it was full of dinosaurs.  Kai LOVES his new book and Finn truly enjoys the wind up dinosaurs.  I can't wind them up fast enough.  I took some pictures so that Grammy and Papa can see the boys enjoying their new toys.

Some awesome dinosaur magnets

And the last video.....Notice Finn dancing to Kai's kazoo music.  They have both loved that kazoo and it's a great toy for Finn.  They say blowing activities (such as the kazoo or blowing bubbles) are good activities for Finn to learn to control his breathing and strengthen his lungs.  Two pluses!

Playing in the Garage

My boys loved playing outside so much last month that, with the arrival of some cold weather this month, we have resorted to playing in the garage quite a bit lately.  Thankfully we have a new toy or two to keep their interest.  Well, at least it keeps Kai's interest.  Finn has taken to riding his plasma car to the wall where the garage door opener is and then just crying until he gets his way.  He does not like being contained in the garage at all.  Sometimes I cave and let them out and we find it's not too bad.  Other times I know that there's no way I'll survive in the weather outside and so he just cries and cries until I drag him inside.

Sometimes we play in the car.

PS.  There will be another post coming soon about what Finn loves to do while we're outside.

Remember the end of last month?

Do you remember how we were sick (again) at the end of March?  I don't think I blogged about it, but it certainly did wipe us out for a solid couple of weeks.  This is a picture I couldn't resist from that time.  Kai just doesn't get the idea of using a whole tissue, however, he can use a whole BOX of tissues!

PS.  I have to apologize for the drool.  He couldn't seem to breathe through his nose and I was changing his shirt a few times a day just because of the drool.  Gross!!

Kai's Crown

Last week it seemed that boys kept digging and digging through our craft basket.  Kai always has these elaborate ideas of things that we can make.  Unfortunately, the word "creative" is not a word that I would use to describe myself, and so I never know how to make his ideas come to fruition.  On that particular Wednesday I happened to have an idea that I was quite proud of--a crown.  Kai and I picked colored construction paper and then we cut it into a crown shape.  He was given free-reign to decorate it and then we fitted it to his head.  He started saying that he was making a "princess crown", but luckily when Reid got home he convinced him that it was a King's crown.  He did a good job and he enjoyed it for the afternoon.  Hip hip hooray!!

This is a picture he took of himself.

I have no idea what he is doing here, but it sure looks like fun!

More fun

Out With the Old

Tonight is the last for our old dilapidated deck.  Bright and early tomorrow morning our contractor will be out here to start ripping it out (and it's ugly friend the hot tub pad).  I'm excited to see it go and to have a nice new deck.  I'll admit that I'm a bit nervous about the process of getting the new deck (having contractors around is just not on my list of "favorites"), but hopefully it'll all be worth it.  And hopefully the hammering for the next month won't be too loud that Finn will never nap again!

Goodbye ratty old deck.  There's even a board that you look through all the way to the ground.  And then there were the pieces of wood from the deck that just fell off onto the patio on their own.  Yep, it's time to say goodbye.

Oh, to be 3!

Earlier this week......

Kai:  "His name is Daddy, and Reid, AND Lockheed Martin!"


This morning he asked for "spikies" in his hair.  Unfortunately his hair is a bit too long, but Reid gave it a good try.  Kai wanted to see it in a mirror and then we hear:

"Now my hair looks like a hat!"

Ahhhhhh, thank you for the laughs Kai.

Great Strides

On May 21st our family will be participating in our first event with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  In many ways, this is our "coming-out" party.  By registering for the event, we have now been identified by the Foundation and will be on the local chapter's email list for future events.  In some ways, that's exciting.  In other ways, it's like stubbing your big toe--it hurts.  But this is something that we feel we need to do.  This is something that will directly benefit our family.  The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the driving force behind today's research, and what research it is!  

I invite you to join our team and help to raise much needed funds to support Cystic Fibrosis research. You will also enjoy food, fun, and music at the Great Strides event at America the Beautiful Park on May 21st! Great Strides is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest, most successful, and most important national fundraising event.

So many young lives depend on the vital, ongoing advances in CF research - to keep that momentum going, we need your help now!  Walking in Great Strides is such an effective way to add tomorrows every day to the lives of those with cystic fibrosis. Your enthusiasm and fundraising efforts will help give more tomorrows to those with CF every day.

It's so easy to sign up - just visit my Great Strides Home page , click on "Join My Walk Team!". Then follow the step-by-step instructions on how to register and begin your fundraising campaign.  If fundraising isn't for you, please feel free to come and walk with us (but still sign up on our team so that the event planners will know how many to expect).  We have been so grateful for all of your support and we would love to have you with us as we take our Great Strides toward a better future for Finn and all of those out there suffering with this disease.

Feeling Busy

I like to be busy.  It makes me feel productive and worthwhile, as if I really have a purpose.  As I've started watching the next two months unfold, I've begun to realize that we're going to be a bit busy.  It should be fun!

Here's what's going on.

Currently, we have submitted our proposal for a new deck to our HOA.  Once it's approved, we can begin construction.  We're shooting for that to begin in mid-April (two weeks from now).  Also this month we will celebrate our 6th anniversary on the same weekend as Easter.  That will be an eventful weekend.  I'm trying to figure out if I can squeeze in a playgroup Easter party as well.  Tomorrow Finn has an 18-month check-up at the pulmonologist, and then two weeks later he has his check-up with the pediatrician.  While we're doing all of this, we're expecting construction on the deck to last anywhere from 2-4 weeks.  I'm also thinking that we will begin the ordering process of Finn's SmartVest.  His cold from the last two weeks has scared me enough to think that it might be time to step-up his treatments, and so I'm ready to concede on a vest.  I think.  We'll see what they say.

In May it's birthday month at our house.  Of course, Kai has learned about birthday parties and he insists he's having one this year.  I'll admit, this is one event that I'm not looking forward to, and as a a result, I have not yet started planning.  (But I do know that I need to get birthday pictures done for him, which I'm planning on doing in combination with pictures for Finn.  So, something else to throw onto the May calendar.)  After Kai's birthday on the 14th (thankfully a Saturday), we have Reid's birthday on the 20th.  And on the 21st we will be walking in the local Great Strides Walk to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. (That is getting another post another night.)  Just 9 days after that, we will be leaving for our family beach vacation and my sister's wedding.  I'm super excited for that.  It should be a lot of fun.

It seems like the trip for the wedding has become a deadline for just about everything.  Everyone needs haircuts, wedding outfits, summer clothes, etc.  So in between the events coming up there will be shopping and planning and trying to keep life running.  I was noticing tonight that I just haven't been blogging as much lately, and I can't say it's because there's nothing going on, but it's just been that my two boys seem to keep me busier.  I feel that a lot of my time is spent organizing, cleaning, planning, and making sure that everyone's happy in the process.  Throw in the fact that we've either been sick a great deal of the time over last few months, or discussing larger and more stressful issues, and well, not much to blog about.  I'm hoping with everything coming up that there will be more pictures, more fun, less stress, and maybe even some more blogging!  :)