Update and achievements for the boys

Brandon:

Brandon is in kindergarten and our whole world is rising to the challenge of daily school (and lunch/snack making for Momma). 
Brandon's front bottom tooth is loose and we can see the adult tooth starting to break through (behind it).  Can't believe my little guy may lose his first baby tooth, it's all happening so fast!  He also has the start of a cavity between his back left molars....bummer.  The dentist gave us some tips...floss and special tooth paste, in hopes we can keep it small and not need to fill it in 6 months.  We'll give it our best and wait to see!
Favorites:
book: 365 science experiments and an insect book (yes, we actually read through the entire experiment....can't wait til he can read)
toy: Snap Circuits and all other electronics that Daddy will let him have (i.e. our old laptop, an old keyboard, and various cords).  Brandon LOVES technology and science....he keeps telling us he is going to be an engineer when he gets older!
movie:Wall-E and Cars 2, Frozen
TV show: How it's Made (yes, still an old favorite) and still loves to watch cooking shows early in the am.
Food: cheese crisp, kalamata olives, all fruits (pretty sure Brandon would eat this every night if I'd let him), and dinner at Las Margaritas with Grandpa

Nicknames: "b", little button (he calls Momma big button), bebers
Friends at school: Raymond and Roger, so far, although Kelsey and TJ are in the other kinder class. 

Brandon is still not overly interested in sports, opted to not play soccer this fall but is excelling in his swim class.  I have been seriously considering finding club/camps that are science/tech oriented for him.  He does like to play outside but seems to hate the heat.   He loves to go camping and be in the mountains. 
He is getting better at writing lower case letters (has long ago mastered upper case) and is working on his sight words.  He writes his name well and likes to sound out letters (if in a good mood).
He is still my early riser and is my awesome sleeper.  He only has a night time accident once or twice a month, which make Momma (and Grandma Diane) soooo happy to not have to wash his sheets so often.

Mason:

Mason just started preschool at St Marks with Mrs. Pitcher and is still doing well with Ms Shanna for daycare.  He has made a new friend, Luke, since Declan changed schools.  He is still very shy and very sensitive but is a chatter box once he warms up.
Mason is sooo much Momma's boy.  He "needs" me to snuggle him before bed, and until recently would come visit me nightly after waking needing to use the bathroom.  Got to admit, I will miss the 2am snuggles.
He is quite the sports-oriented kid and can't wait to start playing soccer (but he doesn't meet the age requirement).  He is high energy, loves to run, jump, and play catch.  He spends tons of time finding bugs in the dirt, and loves to wrestle.

Favorites:

book: The Diggers, "Goldbug" (Cars & Trucks and things that go), The Coyote that Swallowed the...
toy: ANYTHING with wheels but still fairly partial to tractors
movie: Cars 2, Brave, Frozen
TV show: Octonauts, Bubble Guppies
food: Slurpies (pasta noodles), blackberries (but not if they are sour) & strawberries, cheese sticks (especially if they are eaten after 8pm and his teeth are brushed), and of course dinner at Las Margaritas with Grandpa

Nicknames: Masers, Nony-bug, piggy
Mason knows his numbers, colors, shapes, has a huge vocabulary, and does not hesitate to "express" himself.  He is good at counting to 12 and often refers to the letters "B" and "M" as numbers. 

Trip to the dentist....

The kids did great at the dentist today!  Poor Brandon has the start of a small cavity so we have to kick up the dental program at home (lots more flossing, a special high fluoride toothpaste, and mouthwash).  Mason was cavity free (lucky for him he has lots of space between his teeth) and will be due for x-rays next visit.  I informed Grandpa, again, he has to cut back on the candy for the kids....

To our surprise, Brandon lower front tooth (left) is loose which means the tooth fairy will be making an appearance at our house soon!

Adjustments for all....

I never realized Mason would be soooo affected by Brandon starting school.  He has been a little withdrawn and "down" without Brandon.  Although I see them playing together ALL the time, I never realized how much Mason depends on him.  Our first day off together (during the week) Mason just seemed lost and unsure of what to do.  But now he seems to be enjoying being the center of attention!  He'll even venture into Brandon's room and find some of Brandon's "treasures" to play with.  Right now he has Brandon's laptop....ALL TO HIMSELF! 

learning for all!

 Mason's 1st day of 3 yr old preschool at St Mark's ECC with Mrs. Pitcher (and continued daycare with Ms Shanna)

Brandon rolls his eyes when I say it's time to practice his lower case letters, but he sits here and does it.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize he wasn't learning his lower case letters during his 4 yr old preschool class.

kodak moments, in the tub!

Yep, love me some cute little buns in the tub!

book time

The boys eagerly await Daddy's arrival home each night!  He usually gets the pleasure of reading books before they get to watch a cartoon before bed.  Mason is by far more interested in reading books, usually asking me to read him several books in his own bed. 

Family night

pretty sure Brandon missed Daddy this week, stuck to him like glue!

Everybody loves to play legos!!!!

and go for horseback rides....

Can't think of a better way to spend my Friday night!

Bus stop

Brandon's first day riding the bus to and from school!  He was brave and excited!  Thanks Grandma for capturing the moment for me...

1st day of Kindergarten for Brandon!!!!

Brandon is all ready to start kindergarten, supplies have been dropped off, he picked out a new backpack, got new clothes/shoes, and is wearing his classic Brandon smile!

Brandon is attending the same elementary school that Momma went too!

Cousin Ally is in 1st grade and they get to see each other on the playground!

Lined up and ready to wave goodbye to all the parents! 

This morning was such a bittersweet transition for us all.  I "bravely" held back tears as Brandon starts this new phase of his life!  To be honest, had I posted this the night before school started, it would have been with tears streaming down my face (and probably with lots of pictures of him as a baby).  
Ironically, there was a time when I though I couldn't wait for my kiddos to start school, thinking their would be less "momma-induced guilt", our schedule would get easier, it all would get easier.  How foolish was I, shouldn't I realize by now that each new "phase" comes with it's own set of new challenges and rewards????  Like riding the bus....not sure who was more anxious about it, me or him.  It kills me that for five and a half years I have never let him out of my sight except to place him in the care of daycare/preschool programs that I have chosen and trust, so imagine my Momma-craziness with the thought of letting him get on the bus with a complete stranger, hoping he'll get to school and back home in one piece.  As a parent, it never really downed on me until this summer how much trust I have to place in complete strangers to ensure the safety of my babies!!!!

This morning was filled with a little anxiety for B and I.  Kevin and I dropped him off for the first day and it was super cute to see all the kids and parents on the playground waiting for the first bell to sound.  Brandon quickly found Ally on the playground and that gave me a little comfort.  He is fortunate enough to have Ally, Chloe, and Sarah all at the same elementary school, which means he'll see Sarah at PAL/CEP, see Ally on the playground, and rides the bus home with all three girls! 
It was pretty cute to see the kiddos all scurry when the bell rang.  Poor Brandon, he seemed almost startled by the bell and practically ran kids over trying to find his classroom and teacher.  The look on his face was priceless!   He quickly gathered his backpack and got in line to wave goodbye to the all the parents, no tears from him or us.

Fortunate for me I was off and got to pick him up from school the first day!  I almost couldn't wait for 2:45 to come around so I could get him.  I love to see the look on his face when he realizes I am there to get him, I love, love, love that BIG smile.

Last day @ St Mark's ECC

Brandon and Mrs Teri on his last day at St Mark's Preschool/Daycare.  I know he will miss spending his afternoons with Mrs Teri (his crafting buddy) and his mornings with Ms. Virginia.  All the staff at the school always compliment Brandon on his big smile and kind attitude.  Brandon is excited for kindergarten..."because they don't take naps"!

Return to home via New Mexico

Notice all the bracelets on his wrist?  We had lots of time to craft and thankfully a gonga find (rainbow loom) helped occupy Brandon.

Still Momma's little guy

Today we packed up and headed back home.  At Brandon's request, we returned home via the New Mexico route.  It is still a long drive, taking about the same amount of time as going through the Salt but it is beautiful and we enjoyed the new scenery.  We packed a picnic lunch and Kevin found us a great little stream to play by.  The kids, dogs, and I all enjoyed getting our feet wet. 
It's always sad to end our trips but we will be back again in a month....

Day 3: storms then sun

 After raining all Saturday evening and all through the night, the clouds finally started to lift.  This was the view as we drove into Alpine to get a hot breakfast!  Thank goodness for our camper, first time we stayed dry and had a little extra room to stretch and play while it poured outside!  As a side note, our camper is water tight! 

the creek by our camp

Another smile!

 Finally, the sun is out and the view of the meadow from our campsite is beautiful.  Thankful, again, for all the grass, little mud to deal with!  Yes, I am still OCD even when camping.

"Mommy, I found a flower!"

 The boys and I hung back at camp for most of the day.  The weather looked a little questionable, so we played by the creek, looked for ladybugs, and went on a nature walk.  There is nothing better than being with the boys.

Playing at the creek-Day 2

 I once again had to bribe the boys to sit still, look at me, and both smile.....it's no wonder they get annoyed with me and the camera!!!!  So handsome, my boys!

Today we spent the morning playing at one of favorite creeks, while Daddy checked a trail cam.  This time, since the weather was warmer, the kids spent most of their time playing in the water.  It's amazing how much fun they have with just water and an empty water bottle!  Mason lead us on an adventure both up and down the creek.  He is DEFINITELY going to be Daddy's little hunter.  He practically runs everywhere he goes, loves to find bugs, and can't stand that he is not big enough to follow Daddy up the mountain. 

Camping, a perfect end to our summer!

still obsessed with his tractors

relaxing after getting our camper set up!

Snapped a pic of Brandon smiling!!! These moments are few and far between since he hates it when I pull out the camera.

In anticipation of Brandon starting Kindergarten this year, we decided to take a long weekend and make the most out of it!  Of course, we were close to our usual camping spot next to the creek but in a meadow with more grass (which is perfect this time of year with the monsoons.
The boys LOVE our "camping house" and I have to say (again) that I may never return to "tent" camping again.  We are spoiled....being dry and happy during the monsoons....