Monday, September 8, 2014

Happy Birthday Noah

Today, our silly, happy little Noah is three years old. I can't believe how quickly the last three years have flown by. It seems like it was just yesterday that we brought him home and began this adventure of parenthood. Now he's running all over the house and making us laugh on a daily basis.


He's changed a lot over the last year. First, he is incredibly smart. He picks up on new ideas quickly and then will explain them to other people. Sometimes when I may not be giving him my full attention, he'll tell me, "You have to listen to people when they talk to you". This is something I've said to him many times as he's wandering away from me when I'm trying to tell him something. His attention span may not have changed much, but his ability to retain and use information correctly definitely has. It has also become easier to reason with him, which makes avoiding arguments and tantrums more of a possibility.


He became a big brother this year. We were not quite sure how he would handle the new addition, but he has been a fantastic big brother so far. He will go get diapers for me to change Grayson, or a pacifier that may be just out of reach. He is very loving with Grayson and likes to give him kisses on his forehead. If he comes into a room and Grayson isn't there, Noah will ask me where he is. If he hears Grayson crying, you will probably hear him say, "Let me go see 'bout him". He is a very loving and protective big brother.


He has grown more patient. This is a major change that I have noticed. He loves to build big towers with blocks, but would always get very frustrated and upset when the tower would fall over. Now, he will tell you as he's building it that it might fall over, but that's okay; you just have to try again. He's more okay now with being wrong and with not getting things right on the first try. Instead of running away crying, he will just try again. I love seeing this little glimpse of maturity in him. I can also see it in how caring he is. If he sees that you are upset or hurt, he will ask you if you are okay, and give you a big hug if you're not. If you get a boo boo, he will kiss it to make it feel better. He is a very loving little boy who seems to have a big heart.


He is definitely all boy. He loves digger things and pusher things (backhoes and bulldozers), he loves his trucks and cars, and he spends a good amount of time crawling around the house growling like his favorite dinosaur, a t-rex. He will pick up pretty much any bug that he sees to give it a closer inspection, and has recently been able to catch tiny frogs out in the yard. He loves to play in puddles after a good rain and really doesn't mind getting dirty. He is full of energy and full of love, and I just can't believe he belongs to us. We are so blessed to call this amazing little boy our son, and I can't wait to see what joys the next year with him brings.


Thursday, September 4, 2014

Labor Day 2014

This year, we decided to take another Larkin family trip down to Pensacola. We had a great time playing on the beach and spending some time with family. Noah enjoyed splashing in the water, and had a great time helping the guys dig a giant hole in the sand.



It was Grayson's first trip to the beach. He pretty much hung out in the shade and in the condo. We'll get him in the sun and sand next time. He did try on Noah's old bathing suit and hat, which was just adorable. He also took a dip in the indoor pool, which he seemed to really enjoy.



The guys had fun with Grandpa's paddle boards, and even turned one of them into a slide for the kids. Then they chased a few crabs up onto the sand for the kids to take a look at. 



We had a lot of fun and completely wore Noah out. We are planning to make this trip every other year and it should be a lot of fun to see how the kids change each time. I'm sure the 'big boys' will have them doing some crazy things the next time we go.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Brotherly Love

I love seeing how much Grayson lights up when he sees Noah, and how much Noah likes trying to play with him. I hope this means they'll be close when Grayson gets older.


Apples and Alligators

This week we were learning about the letter A, so our crafty endeavors centered around A. First, we did some apple prints. I sliced apples in half and used corn cobb holders and handles. Noah did a great job with it and they were really cute.



Next, we moved on to an animal that Noah is very fond of, the alligator. I printed out a picture of the letter A, cut out some green squares, some teeth, and eyes and gave Noah the glue stick. He did this all on his own after I told him where the different parts were supposed to go and he did a great job. He might be a little bit like his mommy in wanting everything to be exactly right.




Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Fascination

Not sure yet how Grayson feels about the swing, but he does seem to be quite fascinated with the animals hanging overhead.


Saturday, August 2, 2014

The Many Faces of Grayson

On a trip down to Nana and Papa's house, we discovered that Grayson has many faces and all of them are adorable.





Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Pantless Handyman

Beware the pantless handyman. Sure he has a great smile and a winning sales pitch. But he's not very handy. He'll just pee in your bushes and steal all your cookies.


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Still My Little Boy

There are so many times that Noah seems to be older than two. He's incredibly smart, he's caring, and has a very active imagination. But it was a small thing today that reminded me that he's still my little boy. Before coming down the stairs after his nap, he handed me his blanket and stuffed ducky like he usually does. But he held on to his Woodstock. Not only that, but he held him out in his little hand and waved him back and forth as if to say, "See him, he's my favorite". It just struck me as so sweet and innocent and I was reminded that he's still just a little boy.

A little boy who can't go anywhere without Woodstock and loves his soft blanket.

A little boy who loves to act like a dinosaur and race his cars off the coffee table.

A little boy who is afraid of loud thunder and still cries when he scrapes his knee.

He's my little boy, and he's growing up much too quickly. I have to remind myself to hold on to these moments of little boy-hood because they will be gone before I know it. I love this little boy to pieces and I'm not quite ready to give him up just yet.



Sunday, July 13, 2014

Happy Two Months

Happy two months to our sweet little smiley Grayson. We love you!


Sunday, July 6, 2014

Sunny Day Fun

Sunny days are great for some water play, digging in the mud, and sidewalk chalk. We sure made the most of this one.




Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Noah Goes to Pigeon Forge

Last week, my parents took Noah on a trip to Pigeon Forge. He really enjoys staying in hotels, so he was excited just for that part. He had a fantastic time with all the rest.

They chased some ducks and played in the water....



They went to the aquarium and fed some birds....



And the thing Noah seemed to talk about most was the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride.


There was also swimming, a Christmas shop, a giant fake gorilla, an amusement park, and more. To say that he had an amazing time would be a huge understatement. He was all smiles and stories when they brought him back home.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Fizzy Fun

I set up a little mini science experiment to show Noah how baking soda and vinegar react when mixed together. I had several containers of vinegar, and several spoons that each had a few drops of food coloring and some baking soda. Noah had a great time stirring the spoons into the vinegar and watching it erupt. Maybe at some point we'll have to try this on a larger scale.



Friday, June 13, 2014

Car Wash

Most days I can keep Noah busy while I get dinner ready with a big mixing bowl of water, some soap, and a straw so he can blow bubbles. Today, we also added some of his cars and a toothbrush for him to scrub them with. He enjoyed his little kitchen car wash and now his toys are clean. That's a win-win for Mommy.



Out of Context

While I was trying to take adorable one month old photos of Grayson like this one...


...this underwear-only sword fight was happening in the background.

 

Just another day at the Larkin house.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Slip n' Slide

Taylor decided to buy Noah a Slip n' Slide for summer. Noah wasn't so excited about sliding on it. He pretty much just wanted to play in the water that sprays from the sides and pools at the end of it. Taylor did manage to shove him down it a few times and he did enjoy it. Maybe this is one of those things he'll grow to like more over time.







Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Little Explorer

My parents came to stay with us this week to help out with Noah and Grayson because Taylor had to go back to work. This afternoon, Noah wanted to take them to show them the creek where he and Taylor play in the woods behind our house. He is such an adorable little explorer.


All decked out in his hat and sunglasses, he was ready to go. He showed Nana and Papa (sort of) the way out through the woods and to the creek. He walked through the water and over the slippery rocks (with a little help from Papa) like it was nothing.


And what could be better than a rock to throw and a handful of mud?


One thing is for sure. He is all boy. And it looks like he will be a great little exploring buddy.