Better late than never!

April was a whirlwind.  We celebrated Easter with my sister and her family and celebrated Ashton and Lily's birthday parties.  Here are a few pics from the events!

Living with Ashton their is never a dull moment!  He says the funniest things!

Last week, I spent some time with Lily doing her nails in the bathroom.  After I was done with her, he asked if we could have some boy time
.  Of course I replied...what would you like to to do?  Of course I was expecting him to say let's go play outside or something of that sort....but no...he asked me to paint his nails like Lily!  LOL!  I think daddy was going to have a heart attack!  But he wanted them power red...so all is good in the world!

Having a big sister he is heavily influenced by the things he sees and hears.  Last Sunday we were getting ready for church and Lily wanted to wear her brand new sparkly red high heels.  Of course Ashton asked where were his high heels?  I knew I would have to draw the line, as daddy would kill me if I let him wear heels to church....so I told him that he had some other cool new shoes to wear!

It's so funny to see how he is trying to make sense of his world.  The other day his daycare provider , Ms. Helen asked him how he knows a boy from a girl.  Of course she did not get the expected answer!  Instead he replied, girls have black hair (like Lily and Corrine--his best friend at Ms. Helen's) and boys have blond hair like me)  LOL!

Lastly, I love how Ashton pics up vocabulary!  Like I've mentioned before ridiculous is one of his favorite words.  Mommy isn't that ridiculous!  Yesterday he was trying to say the word weapon....but he kept saying Whoopin!  He's running around with his "whoopin".  Love this kid!

And to think we were concerned...

So I have to laugh to myself sometimes when I think back to how the pediatrician was concerned with Ashton's speech-language development.  Ashton talks non-stop and his vocabulary is amazing.  He might not always understand everything he is repeating, but he definitely has  picked up some complex words.

"Daddy are you going to see a client?"

"Isn't that ridiculous mommy?"

"Can I supervise you?"

I'm sure there is much more I can't think of right now!

A funny from the week:

Occasionally I have to take the kids with me to this orthopedic shoe repair store.  Lately the kids have been there a lot.  Every time we go, I take in my left tennis shoe, because that is the shoe that requires the heel lift.  Last time we went, Ashton said, "mommy this is the store where you can only get one shoe."  LOL!!!!

Finally channeled his inner sledder!

Ready, set, blaze...

 

 

Well finally Ashton has embraced sledding! Up unitl today he has been a, very reluctant sledder, but today he couldn't get enough! 

Lastly I forgot to mention that Ashton loves his letters.  He loves to write them, sound them out, say whose name begins with what....very cool.  Maybe we will have an early reader.

Download on the lil dude!

Lil dude's current favorite color is red. 

A few weeks ago I was cleaning out some photographs and I Ashton must of found a wallet size picture of his half-sister Arianna....he picked it up...turned it over on his arm....and asked me "is this an Arianna tattoo".  LOL  So cute!

Ashton continues with his I don't like you, I don't want to be your friend routine.  Frequently when he is mad at someone...he states he doesn't like Corrine (his best friend from daycare)....it's like she's his scapegoat.

Also we think Ashton wants to give basketball a try.  We are going to sign him up for a little clinic this spring.

Can't believe the little man is going to be 4 soon!  Time really flies!

What to write?

What to write?  Sometimes life is splendidly mundane and things don't stand out as much.  Ashton continues to be our Loveable Lil Booger.  He is active, cute,  very articulate (the things he says are amazing), a huge eater (fortunately he likes healthy foods like carrots and blueberries), shy at times, loves heavy machinery and atv's especially backhoes, skid loaders and cranes (at times he can even identify the brand!), likes to be called Diego and Ryder, loves to have books read to him at night, frequently gets angry and tells people he doesn't like them, doesn't want to play with them or doesn't want to their friend, adores his sister most days, tortures the dog, loves his pokey, loves to play in the rain and snow, but hates to be dirty or wet (lol) he loves going to Ms. Helen's and playing with his friends Theo, Luci, and Corrinne and I'm sure the list could go on and on!  I am so thankful for his precious little life!

Pulling out the big guns!

So Ashton has been quite strong willed about this whole using the potty thing.  He would pee in the potty, but he refused to poop.  Instead he would hide.  So for a while, we just decided we'll keep him in diapers and deal with it later.  However, he hates to be wet or dirty.  So about a week or so ago, he kept sneaking off his diaper.  I'd put a diaper on him, and a few hours later I'd check him, and he snuck his diaper off.  Then I would put a new diaper on him, only to find out a few hours later he had taken it off.  This would of been wonderful if actually decided to use the potty, but no...he kept defecating in his pants and peeing on the floor.  So seeking some counsel from some friends,they recommend we pull out the big guns!  Take away something meaningful to him if he chooses not to use the potty.  And so his lovey Pokey was the "big gun".  At first we gave Pokey back the next day as if a it was a fresh start.  But then someone said, do not give it back until he does what he knows he supposed to do.  It was tough...you could tell he missed Pokey a lot.  Not to mention he didn't sleep as well without his lovey.  But we are happy to report that after a full week without Pokey he realized we meant business....and happily for the last few days has been doing HIS business in the potty!!!  Yeah!!!  Now hopefully it will stick.  He has a sticker chart, and when he fills it up, he is going to get a paw patrol lookout!  Here's to a diaper free 2015!

Lil booger!

Lil booger!

 

That cheesy grin!

If I haven't mentioned it before Ashton has finally hit that if you don't give me what I want, I will have a temper tantrum, try to hit you, or tell you I don't like you.  Ugh...  He has begun spending more time in his room for time out.  Trying to teach him that he can't say mean things to people when he is angry.  It is definitely a process!  Even in his orneriness his still an adorable little booger! He loves to read books.  Every Friday, since he competed his Pike I swim class, he goes with daddy to the library to get lots of books!  He loves to have two books read to him each night!  He likes them with lots of pictures and not too many words!  He also has been on a paw patrol kick!  He continues to want to be called Ryder from paw patrol often! 

We had pictured taken with his birth family in October! I had to bribe Ashton with chocolate!  He was not thrilled!  Nor was Arianna, with that pouty look on her face!  Poor Taylor!  Hopefully she doesn't take it personally.