Retail Therapy

Archer loves to shop. Guess he inherited this trait from me. I am not a great shopper by any means (Confession: I don't think I have ever been inside a designer clothing store.) Nearly everything we purchase comes from Target, Trader Joes, Costco, or Old Navy. That being said, I actually look forward to my weekly Target shopping trip. Ahhhh retail therapy. And my little Archie is the same way. No matter how tired, cranky, hungry, or grumpy... as soon as he sees a shopping cart, he gets very excited to sit inside. I have never had to leave a store because of a tantrum (and I think I have only had to do this once or twice with Carter.)
Carter received a shopping cart for his birthday last year and he mainly likes to race it around the house at top speed. Archie, however, has taken an interest in it already. I seriously think in a few months he will be pretend shopping around the house all day. I also think my little 10 month old is very close to walking! Check this out:

Crazy Carter

Oh life with a 2-year-old boy is never-ending fun!

Dance parties are a daily occurrence in our house lately. I think Carter learns all his dance moves from his Daddy.

Summer is winding to a close. . .

This was one HOT summer. Seriously. We had to buy a new air conditioner and while I was not happy to fork over thousands of dollars to Sears, it ended up being totally worth it. The humidity is so bad that when our leather couch is pressed up against the ottoman it actually sweats. Insanity.

We have managed to beat the heat by mostly staying indoors which my kids are not too happy about. We have gone to some really fun places recently though. (The Dinosaur Park in Laguna Hills, Pioneer Park in Tustin, and Scooter's Jungle Bounce House were big hits!)

Archer and Carter are happy, healthy, and active. They love to play together and are actually very sweet to each other. I know the days of screaming fights and wrestling matches are in my future but for now, they are kind and loving. Carter exists on fruit snacks, bacon, milk, and crackers. Honestly that is about all he eats. I absolutely hate it and meal time usually always ends in tears (from both him and me!) Archer eats anything and everything you put in front of him (except applesauce for some reason). Even after he is done eating, he will chase you around the house begging for bites and sips of whatever you happen to have. Dave hates it but I love it because at least one of my kids is well fed!

I am so looking forward to fall. I want to drink hot pumpkin spice lattes, eat lots of pumpkin baked goods, make crockpot stews, wear socks, sweaters, and scarfs, and curl up on the couch with a blanket and my sweet husband.

I am quite happy for summer to end. With that being said, it wasn't all bad... here are some highlights from the past few weeks:

Pioneer Park in Tustin--so fun!

This kid loves to eat... all day.

The Dinosaur Park

Family Vacation in Newport Beach

Dave's brother and his family rented out a large beach house on the beach in Newport and invited us to come stay. The house was amazing because it was literally right on the beach. From the balcony we could watch the kids playing on the beach. It was such a fun-filled and laid-back trip... highlights included playing on the beach, walking on the pier, riding bikes down the boardwalk, eating frozen bananas, flying a kite, dinner at Spaghetti Factory, lunch at Ruby's on the pier, and Dave and I getting away from our kids for an afternoon so we could see Dark Knight Rises. I think Carter's favorite part of the entire trip was just snuggling with his cousins on the couch every morning and watching cartoons. It was nice to have a break from reality and to have a chance to really spend time with my cute nieces and nephew. Carter still wakes up every morning saying, "Where's Kate? Matt? Annie? Jayne?" Archer loved spending time with his cousins as well but I think his favorite part was crawling all over the house--he chased me everywhere!

The house we stayed in is the fourth one from the right. 

Archer asleep after a walk along the boardwalk

Who needs toys when you have a Doritos bag to play with?

Wanted a picture of sunset but ended up getting police car in picture as well--apparently
 a lot of people get arrested on the beach!

Brotherly Love!

A rare sight--Dave on the beach during daylight hours!

I came out to the kitchen for one second
and Archer was right behind me--I can't escape him!

Carter slept SO well during the whole trip from sheer exhaustion!

Kate, Annie, and Matt 

Archer fell asleep on the bike ride.
Carter was a bit bummed that he didn't actually get to "ride" a bike himself.

Summer Summer Summertime!

Summer is upon us! Life is sunny and happy and the boys just keep getting bigger. Carter learned to drive his powerwheels jeep by himself today and Archer crawled all the way across our bedroom so it was a day of firsts! Happy Independence Day! 

Carter climbed up the bricks in the yard, looked in the window
 and yelled, "Hey whatcha guys doin' in there??"

The Big 3-1

Well I am 31 years old. Don't feel too old yet though so that's good! My crazy kids keep me energized throughout the day and exhausted at night! Not much to update except that Archie is soooo close to crawling. I am not ready for it. I want to keep him a snuggly little baby for a tad bit longer!

My mom bought me a cake for my birthday and I have been eating it every day since. Yikes.

Watching cartoons in the morning

Carter steals my camera now and takes all sorts of random pictures--usually of the floor
but I kept this one because it was just so sweet. 

Snuggling with Daddy

Happy Mother's Day

I love being a mommy. My boys are so wonderful. Lately I have been feeling like I may want another baby (Dave thinks I am INSANE). But yesterday I finally figured it out. I don't want another baby... I just want Grayson back. I feel like my family is complete. I have three beautiful sons... I just wish Grayson was a daily part of the mix.  I realize how lucky we are to have Archie in our family and he is growing up so fast that he is nearly bigger than Carter already. The two of them have so much fun together and I can't wait to see them chasing each other around. Archie will be 6 months old this week and Carter will be 2.5 years old! (I plan on potty training Carter next month... stay tuned for all the gruesome details.)

I received a diamond owl necklace from my sweet husband, and a second owl necklace that has three owls together from my boys, and some new earrings from my mother-in-law. I love them all! Happy Mother's Day to me!

Here are some pictures from life lately:

Archer fell asleep in his daddy's lap while watching a movie

Railroad Days at Fullerton Train Station

See Mickey? Carter jumped the barricade and happily kidnapped him!

Visiting Grayson