October 2014

October is here and the Tormoehlen Boys are as busy as ever!  

Both boys enjoy experiencing everything to do with Halloween! They have practiced Trick-Or-treating around our neighborhood and enjoy looking at all of the decorations.  Additionally, we read about Halloween every night with special books.

The boys decided just this week about being Ninjas for their big night.  Thank goodness for Amazon 2-day shipping, as we're cutting it close!  We plan to walk around the neighborhood with Karla and Brady's family.

In other big news, we had a follow up allergy appointment for Zachary and his allergies haven't gotten any better, therefore, he was recommended to start allergy shots in November.  Although we're nervous, we're so hopeful this treatment will help our sweet Zachary.  He just deserves to be a kid and Kyle and I are completely focused on helping him overcome his allergies.  The tests are emotionally and physically exhausting, but we're thankful we're more educated.  Hope no other parent I know has to put their little one though what Zachary has done.  He is so strong and so brave.

On a fun last note: One of the may highlights of the month was taking the boys to Chucky Cheese for Austin's 4th birthday.  You'll see from the photo below one photo of joy.  Max and Zachary had so much fun and enjoyed playing games and eating everything in sight.

I've been having so much fun with the boys on the weekends, and it's increasingly challenging to head into work on Mondays. They are so wonderful and I'm amazed how blessed I am to be chosen as their mom.

Big Birthday Party this weekend!  I'm getting so excited!

The Boys' Silly Pumpkin

Sweet Zachary.  These were the results of his weeds test.  He's clearly SUPER allergic

Zachary's FIRST Broncos Game

Zachary got to attend the Broncos vs Seahawks game in August and he had a blast!  We arrived early enough for him to see Thunder on the field and kept asking me why there was a horse on the field.

He had a dinner of nachos and soft pretzels and enjoyed running up and down the concourses.

It was a great experience I was thankful to have and I'm excited to take him again! Go Broncos!

June is Already Over!

Lots happening in the Tormoehlen house!

June was a blur.  We celebrated Colin and Dylan's birthdays, I went on a vacation with college girlfriends, we took the boys to their first Rockies games, and we spent the past weekend in Greeley for Grandma and Grandpa Rady's 70th Anniversary!  Phew!

In-between all of this, we took a quick hour to snap some updated family photos.  I'm so thankful for them, as it's obvious how much the boys have been growing.

Here's an update on everyone:

Kyle:  Kyle has started his own business, Healthcare Transaction Advisers.  He's now has flexible hours and can do the things he wanted.  Hopefully it will take off and he will be very successful.  I'm sure it will!

Zachary:  He's now moved up to the preschool room.  There are many kids in the room, ranging in age from 3-6 years old, so it's been a big transition.  He's enjoying the summer program, bringing his bike to school, splash days, and walking to the park. He also finished another soccer season with Kyle as the coach.

Zachary's Favorite Things:
- The shows, "Paw Patrol", "Little Einsteins" and "How to Train Your Dragon" movie
- Pete the Cat and Curious George books
- Eating Dark Chocolate
- Riding bikes and swimming

Zachary Silly Things:
- Zachary talks about his butt all of the time.  He'll insert it into songs, giggle about his butt or other's butt and even ended up in the Principal's office for saying it too much at school.
- He loves wearing snow boots, even in June.
- He loves getting naked
- He has a spot on the couch.  Don't ever sit there.  Even the dog gets in trouble
- He's 3, so has to do everything himself.  He has to put his syrup on his pancakes.  He has to start his own movies.  Bossy, bossy.
- He likes catching miller moths with Max

Max Favorite Things:
- Watching movies with his brother
- Signing songs.  Now it's "If You're Happy and You Know It"
- Reading books in his room before bed
- HOT WHEELS.  He'll take inventory every morning and likes to line them up on the tile
- Eating everything in the fridge
- Dogs.  Looking at dogs, hugging dogs, everything dogs
- Looking for trucks on the road
Also, his vocabulary is HUGE!  He says many words like, "Please, Octopus, Lawn mower, Thank- You, Brother, Shark, Giraffe, Mouse, Bug, Night-night, Bed, Book, Diaper"....on and on.  He's quite the talker and it's over the top cute


Max Silly Things:
- He hates his diaper changed because it forces him to take a break from playing
- He demands eating fruit snacks before the bath and drinking ice cold water before bed
- He likes to wear his swimsuit but doesn't like to get in the water
- He LOVES wearing his flip flops
- He likes to wear hats.  Any hat will do.
- He likes to eat Oreo's.  He'll twist them to separate

This weekend is the 4th of July.  We'll be showing Zachary the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating competition, which has been a tradition with Kyle and I since we were dating.  Hope he thinks it's as silly as we do!

We're busy, but we're blessed.  Our boys are the best and it's great to be their mom!

Itching for the Summer!

We're in full summer mode- itching for the warm weather!

Last weekend, Zachary and Kyle had their first soccer game with the "Gray Wolves".  Zachary did a great job and Kyle certainly has his hands full with ten 3 year-olds

Zachary has been transitioning to the preschool room and is doing great!  Kyle helped him decorate his new locker and he's been talking about how fun the room is at night. He's officially a full time preschooler on Monday!

Max is just being great.  The other night, he was jabbering away and I wanted to make sure I logged his huge vocabulary!  These are the words he knows and says often:
- Moon
- Breakfast
- Banana
- Apple
- Pancake ('cake-cake')
- Juice, Water
- Car, bus, and truck
- Book
- Kimbo and Doggie
- Hippo, Monkey, Elephant, Mouse, snake, shark
- Phrases like "uh-oh", "more please", and "I did it!"

Max also enjoys reading books and playing with cars.  Every morning, he goes through his Hot Wheels inventory and requests to bring five in the bath each night.

Zachary started swim lessons yesterday and loved it!  He waits patiently for his class to start while his brother eats 20 snacks and complains about why he can't get in with him.

We're doing great and are so lucky to have each other.

Zachary and Max, What I Want You To Know

Zachary and Max,
It's been an emotionally tough two months for your Mom.  I had the unfortunate experience of a friend losing her 16 month old son, Kelby.  He simply went to bed and never woke up.  It's so tragic and so terrible to know a child loss.

Kelby was just a month older than you, Max.  I think about him often when I look at you.  He was probably the same size and I know his mom loved him more than words.

Only a month later, my close High School friend , Steve Waldie, passed at the young age of 33.

Experiencing these loses so close together gave me some tough perspective that I'd like to share with you.

1.  You never know what pain others are experiencing.  When you're having a tough day, there's a good chance someone is having a tougher day than you.  Think about that when someone cuts you off in traffic. Think about it when someone is mean to you in school.  Think about it when someone is sitting alone at school.  People experience really tough times, so try to make their day better by a simple smile, letting someone in a hurry on the road pass you, or say hello to the person you pass on the street.  You never know how far it will go.

2.  Tell loved ones that you love them.  Even the ones you see everyday.  In my opinion, love can be given on different levels.  Tell your friends you love them.  Tell your neighbors you love them.  Most importantly, tell your Mom and Dad you love them.  Also, offer hugs as a sign of love when you can.

3.  Hold a baby as often as you can.  Babies are miracles.  Babies are a blessing.  Your soul will be calmed when you get to hold and get a close view of a miracle.

4.  Keep things in perspective.  Not everyone gets to have a job that changes people's lives.  Mom and Dad don't have jobs that will eventually cure cancer or help needy people, however, we show up on-time and work hard at what we do because we care about who we are and want to provide the best for you both. Be confident in whatever you choose to do each day.  No matter what career path you choose, people will remember how you treated them while you earn a living.

5.  Being a parent will be the best job you'll ever get to have.  In parenting, no one gets plaques for best diaper changes or best attempt at grocery shopping with two small children.  Again, do the best you can and trust that others are doing the same.

6.  Never underestimate education, art or music.  Education comes from school, from your parents, and from life.  You can learn from your mistakes, learn from others, or learn from school.  Just never stop learning. For Art, enjoy looking at things closely and with a different perspective.  Your Dad and I love the messy art your bring home from school and would frame it faster than a real Monet. You don't always have to stay in the lines.  And for music- dance your tail off. Even if you dance in your underwear at home or sing in the car, music can make your day better and help you express yourself.

7.  Take lots of pictures.  You never know when you'll need them.

8.  Listen to your kids.  Both of you make your Dad and I smile so much.  I'm so thankful you want to share stories and thoughts and I hope that ever ends.

9.  Take care of each other.  People will come in and out of your lives, but my hope is that you'll have a constant friendship with each other.  Stay by each other's sides.  Believe in each other and never let something come between you.

10.  Tell your Mom and Dad you love them.....as much as you can.

What's Up?

It's been while, so wanted to share a few photos and updates

1.  Zachary is getting ready to move to the preschool room.  It's a pretty big transition for him, as there are big kids and a HUGE room that holds up to 40 kids.  Kyle and I often talk about the new room to help with the transition.  As Kyle walked Zachary into school this morning, he pointed to the new room and Zachary responded with, "No Dad.  Not today.  Maybe tomorrow."  Poor guy.  Wish us luck with that one.

2.  Max is HUGE.  What a big boy!  He certainly verbalizes his wants and has many likes at this age.  He loves: playing with Hot Wheels, riding on his ATV toy after school, slides, juice boxes, reading on your lap, wearing hats and sunglasses, eating fruit snacks, watching Disney movies with Zachary, dancing to music, his dog and ANY dog around, laughing, and his teacher Selma.

3.  Zachary is growing quite a bit too!  He enjoys: eating beans at cheese at Qdoba, eating chips and salsa, reading books in his new big boy bed, working on puzzles, dominating his brother while I'm not looking, peeing while standing up (it's the new thrill), farting, playing in his room, going to Ikea, finding school buses on the way to school, eating dark chocolate with me, playing sports with Kyle, riding his truck in the cul-de -sac, slamming doors, and playing in the basement.

4.  Zachary had his follow up GI appointment last week and although his allergies showed to worsen, we're more positive and hopeful than ever before.  Kyle and I are meeting with a nutritionist to develop a good game plan for his meals and hope this helps spark his appetite

5.  The weather is getting warmer and we're ready as ever- especially with Daylight Savings.  The boys request to play outside until it's too cold or dark, as they try to soak up as much sun as possible.  Last weekend, Zachary was playing on his swing set, smiling and tells me, "Mom?  I love my house.".  I've been loving it too and they'll both enjoy playing more this Spring.

6.  Kyle will start soccer with Zachary in another week.  Last summer, Kyle coached Zachary's soccer team and loved it.  After the second week, he developed his own lesson plans and the kids loved playing with him.  He's looking forward to another season with Zachary, and I'm sure Max will get himself into the games as well.

7.  The boys both enjoy: Pete the Cat books, Curious George books, the Disney movies Cars, Cinderella, and Frozen, playing basketball and kicking soccer balls, hide-and-seek, eating raisins in bulk, taking trips to Target, meeting new kids and pets in the neighborhood, going to Jump Street Trampoline Center, and watching movies in Kyle's new truck.

There are a few moments in my days when I realized how blessed I am.  I have a great partner in Kyle and two of the best kids on the planet.  We're so blessed and so lucky and I hope it only gets better!

Reading books in Zachary's big boy bed

Zachary and Max have a glass wall between them at school.  They will often tap on the glass and look for each other throughout the day.  So fun!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Yesterday was Kyle's birthday.  It was pretty cold out, so we threw a pizza party at home with the boys. 

First thing in the morning, Zachary crawls into bed and Kyle requests the Happy Birthday song.  Zachary replies, "Dad.  It's not your Birthday.  Your Birthday is Friday.  No singing until Friday."  Not sure where he got that, but he kept it up all day.

Kyle got some gift cards for new clothes and some camo gear for his new hunting hobby.

Kyle deserves the best year ever and it feels great to celebrate with our favorite little boys.