It isn't always about the baby :)

Okay, so enough about Conley and all the Conley pictures. I do have two other boys who have things going on in their lives BESIDES a new brother :) Although to be honest, not much more …

Carter played another season of soccer this fall and really did well. And not just because he scored more goals (which he did – 5 on the season. 2 in one game), but because he was always at the front of the pack trying to get the ball. Carter isn’t the most assertive little boy. He’s more of a sheep than a shepherd. He waits to see what others are doing and chimes in, as opposed to making his own wakes for others to follow in. So to see him taking charge and running past others in soccer made me very proud. He was confident and that was the best part. Although, the physical ability he showed for soccer was a nice treat too. His best friend Luke was on the team, and the two of them were super stars and loved every minute of it.

I didn’t have my zoom lens on me at the games. Heck I’m even surprised I remembered a camera since we took Cole and Conley to most games. But this is a photo of Carter scoring his first goal of the season, at the first game. The second game he scored two goals and kept reminding him that it was about having fun NOT the quanitity of goals, because there would come a game when he wouldn’t score any.

Here he is at Chuy's for a celebratory lunch. 

Too much partying for Cole, he slept the entire time.

And this is at the last game when Carter scored from mid field. He kicked it so hard, he fell down right after I took this shot. I was watching him to make sure he was okay and didn’t even realize the ball went in the goal.

Last season his favorite position was goalie, but now that he realizes he can run fast and score goals, he doesn't ask to play goalie as often.  Though when he does, he's pretty good at it. 

They had a party at the end of the season. Here he is with his trophy and certificate.

Cole is doing wonderful in swimming. And that’s great on all levels. It’s about the scheduled activity he can do right now since he’s not three. He REALLY wants to play sports like Carter. I resorted to putting him in the Child Watch section at the YMCA (we’re members) while Carter practiced or during games because Cole would run on the field and join the team. He threw a fit when he couldn’t play. So I keep telling him, he gets to swim right now and he seems to like it. After a long summer of just playing in the pool with Daddy, instead of formal lessons, and taking August off completely because of Conley’s arrival, Cole struggled with floating. But after just two lessons with Ms. Kara (the only teacher more strong willed than Cole), he was make to floating well. Here’s a video from the beginning of October. Now he is learning to use his “big arms” to stroke in between his resting floats.




Our YMCA has a heated pool, but its outdoors. As long as the weather is sunny, I plan on getting in the pool on our “Fun Fridays” – the only day that neither boy is in school. As you can see, the only people other than us are the water aerobic ladies :)

Cole is growing up so fast. He started off the summer with less than 20 words. He now speaks in full sentences, asks “Why” questions, knows how to count to 16, and knows what numbers 1-8 look like. He knows all his colors, and loves to sing songs. He is still hard to understand at times, but in the last two weeks there has been marked improvement. He is a very intelligent little boy, we just didn’t know HOW much because he couldn’t express it. In the last month he has potty trained really well. In fact, after two days he had one accident. Went four days until his next and then went over a week without having another. I’m very proud of him. It didn’t take any bribery at all, just praise. He also no longer takes a nap. Though I do find at least twice a week he’ll fall asleep watching TV during “down time” and/or in the most silliest of situations.

He will frequently sleep with his hands behind his head.

 This is his chair at the foot of my bed.

 Yep - he's naked.  Just came in from playing in the sprinkler and zonked out.

This is during the Texans v Jaguars game and we had several people cheering loudly.  Didn't phase him.

The day of the time change.  We are still adjusting from that.

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Those were sleeping pictures - now here's what the big boys are up to when they're awake...

I regret having loose cushions on my couch ...

 Cole hides in them all-the-time!

We play dress up alot.  It's usually super heros, but this time he was a cowboy.

 Sometimes accidents happen we play.  Here's a picture of Cole's eye the morning after he walked into Carter's back swing of a golf club.  Not a plastic one either.  A child sized metal Ben Hogan Jr driver.  That makes two head injuries in 6 months requiring medical grade glue.  Wonder if Sam's carries that ...

 At the park. Which we can do alot now that it isn't 1000 degrees outside. 

 And what would a trip to the park be without Carter posing in the "Cheese Tree"  You may recall we call it the Cheese Tree because he climbs in there and says Cheese, thus requiring me to take a photo.

 With three kids you'll take whatever one-on-one time you can get.  Carter and I stopped for a snack and ICEE at Target after a soccer game.  Nice treat for just the two of us.

 I had an 8:30 doctors appointment in the med center requiring me to leave with Conley at 7:30, so Brian had to get the kids dressed, fed and to school on time at 9 all alone.  He sent me this picture at 8:58.  Great job honey!

 We really make good use of our zoo membership.  Particularly on great weather weekends.  We'll try and be the first in line at 9.  We've been dozens of times in the past 4 years.  Probably 40.  And every time we go, the male lion is always - seriously always.  Laying down.  This morning was different.  He looked like he wanted to eat some Shelton boys.  I said looks like, because he's actually yawning.  But hey, the former makes a better caption.

 Never miss a ride on the carousel when we go.

 Here's Conley looking on at his brothers while they play in the backyard.  Soon enough kid, soon enough ...

 The pool has a slide, but  they weren't sharing so Brian dragged the play set over. 

 Then they took turns pushing each other down the red slide.

 Like I said, our weather has definitely mellowed.  Even requiring a jacket every now and then.

 Who says the boys get all the fun.  Brian and I took Conley out with us to dinner with some friends in town that Brian went to High School with.  Mom was in Colorado with my new nephew Asher so Dad came over and watched the big boys by himself for the first time and did wonderfully. 

The other day Brian was mowing the lawn and Carter usually helps him push.  Well this time, he went solo for a few laps.  Check out his handy work ...



As you can see we stay rather busy and have lots of fun.  I definitely have my hands full.  The other day I ran a sink full of soap water to wash my chili pot and forgot about it.  I got distracted with reading the boys a book.  6 books later and I returned to the kitchen to find this.  Thankfully the sink drains to the other sink before it hits my floor ...

Over all I'm not actually that overwhelmed.  Having three kids requires patience, which I've learned to aquire.  And I've learned I'll probably need 8 arms at least 3 times in a day, but we manage just fine.  I clean up a lot of messes.  While I don't love cleaning - making messes seems to keep the kids happy while I feed and cater to Conley.  I'll be in the nursery putting Conley down and I'll here a huge mess being made in the living room.  It takes every ounce of patience, to just sit there and feed Conley calmly and enjoy snuggle time with him.  All the while knowing what I have waiting for me "outside."  It's generally cars or trucks everywhere.  A super hero stash hidden under the area rug or all the cushions thrown around like train tracks. Or the random chalk drawings on my kitchen walls (thank you Magic Eraser for your magic ability to remove almost anything from almost anything).  But the other day tops the cake. 

Conley was having a particularly hard day in the nap department.  Overall he is a wonderful sleeper.  He's starting to sleep 6-7 hours at night, wakes for a feeding and sleeps another 3, feeds, then another 2.  He'll also nap for 2-3 hours at least once during mid day and several other 1+ hour naps.  But you have to catch him before he's over tired.  This day he was over tired.  I was in the nursery for awhile really trying hard to get him down.  I could hear trouble brewing in the playroom, and just shrugged it off.

Well, upon finally getting Conley down, I entered the play room to wet carpet.  Carter looked at me as if he knew they were being naughty.  I asked where all the water came from.  Carter blamed it on Cole (surprise surprise).  I found Cole in the bathroom, with a bath play cup.  He was filling it up with toilet water, putting the water in his mouth and spitting it on Carter and anywhere else he desired.  The toilet water trail went from the playroom through the living room and into the kitchen.  I grabbed a towel, cleaned it up and explained to the kids about germs in the toilet.  Not much else I could do seeing as pouring germ killing bleach down their throats was not an option.  I kept an eye on them for a few days wondering if eColi was going to plaque our house.  But I guess I must keep the toilet pretty clean!