I've GOT to get better at this blogging thing!

Again, it's been months since I've updated. I am horrible at this blogging business! When the boys do or say something cute, I think to myself "I should add that to the blog" but I never get around to it. I'm REALLY going to try to get better.

We had a great summer! We took Camden and Slaton to Sea World for the first time and they had an absolute blast! It was sooo flippin' hot but they didn't seem to notice...they plodded along like little champs! We also had our annual vacation to Lake Buchanan. We all had a great time fishing, swimming, riding in the boat and spending time with Nana, Pa, Uncle Tim, Taylor, Caden and Ryan. We had an extra nice surprise this year...Blake's mom and dad came with us, too! The boys had fun showing Pop Pop and Grandpa around the lake. We are all looking forward to going back next year!

We also had a bit of turmoil this summer...Camden and Slaton's preschool was bought out by another church and we weren't comfortable with the direction they were taking so we found them another preschool. It's another wonderful Christian preschool that has a brand new facility and had only been open a month. We took the boys to tour it one day and we all loved it (especially the boys) so they started the next day. They love it and have been learning tons of new things. Slaton came home the other day talking about Christopher Columbus and how he sailed on the ocean to China. I would love to take credit for teaching him that but I can't! He's learning it all at school! Wow! Blake said that we are going to have to get better jobs so that we can afford to send him to a good college. ;) Lord knows I won't be able to send him to community college on a teacher's salary! Camden is loving going to devotion every day and comes home singing the cutest songs. He's not so much into the academics part of preschool...it's all about the socialization, singing and food for him! Two little boys...two VERY different little people!

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe I haven't posted since the end of November! Things have been crazy busy around here. This raising twins business is a lot of work! Who knew?! ;)

The boys turned 4 on March 31st. I can't believe it...4 years old! It honestly seems like yesterday we were going to see them in the NICU...celebrating each cc they drank (yes, cc's...not ounces!), stressing over the apnea and brady episodes, wondering if they would ever get to come home. Just look at 'em now! They are turning into little men with such distinct personalities. Camden is making great progress with his speech! He's speaking in crystal clear sentences and he is really enjoying being able to communicate with everyone. He is loving this warmer weather and being able to go outside and jump on the trampoline. He is my outdoor boy! He would go fishing every day if we would let him. Slaton is a little clown these days. He loves to make you laugh and he comes up with the most off-the-wall sayings. Oh, and let's not forget the talking...the boy never stops! I swear he wakes up in the morning talking and he talks himself to sleep at night. I have no idea where he got that, so I'm going to blame it all on his Daddy because I just know he didn't get it from me! (Why do I hear snickering from the back of the room?)

Other big news...Camden and Slaton started preschool last week! We pulled them from their babysitter of 3 1/2 years in February and a friend of ours had been keeping them at our house in the mornings until I got off work at lunch. This gave us some much needed time to start the preschool search. After a couple of months of searching, we finally found a great Christian preschool about 15 miles from our house. This preschool came highly recommended by several people that I talked to and I visited them a couple of times before we made our final decision. The first week was a little rough with the transition, but things have settled down and they both look forward to going each morning. They are learning new things every day and Blake and I are enjoying the structure that it provides for them. After the first week of preschool, we could already tell a difference in their behavior at home. Now we're just kicking ourself that we didn't do it sooner!

Here are a couple of pictures from their first day of preschool.

Camden's end of semester speech conference

Today was the official end of Camden's speech therapy for the semester and I had the final conference with his therapist today. He has made TONS of progress this semester and we are all extremely pleased.

We've got good news and bad news. I'll start with the good news.

Camden was assessed and accepted in the Language-Articulation Preschool Program at Baylor. There was only one opening and, after being assessed by the director, she wanted Cam to have first chance at the slot. The preschool is Monday through Thursday from 8:30 to 11:00. There are only 4 students in the class and each student has a one-on-one speech therapist. They would have morning circle time, sing songs, have snack, play games, etc...a lot of the things he's doing in speech now, just much more intense and he would have other students to interact with.

Now on to the bad news...

The preschool schedule makes it impossible for us to take him. Blake never knows where he will be working and while he could take him in the mornings, that would leave no one to pick him up at 11:00 since I don't get off until 11:40. It breaks my heart to have to do it, but we are going to have to decline the opening. I know this would be a wonderful program for him and he would benefit greatly from it, but we just can't work our schedules around the scheduled time. He will still be getting speech therapy twice a week...it just won't be the intense preschool therapy.

Dat MY Fwoot Woop!

Camden was sitting at his table this morning eating a bowl of Fruit Loops when Blake leaned over and grabbed a couple out of his bowl and ate them. Cam looked up at Blake and loudly proclaimed, "Hey...dat MY Fwoot Woop!" Yep...that's 5 words! Count them! FIVE! He is doing amazingly well with his speech and we are soooo pleased! He has Speech Therapy twice a week at Baylor University's Speech and Hearing Clinic. His therapist this semester is a wonderful young girl named Marla and Cam really likes her. He loves being on Baylor campus, too! (Do I have a future Bear on my hands?) He loves looking at all the trees, watching all of the birds and squirrels, and hearing the chiming clock at Pat Neff hall.

Do I have a future male Paula Deen on my hands?

I was outside playing with the boys this afternoon when Slaton pulled his wagon over to me and said, "Mommy...you want some zert?" (dessert) I told him that I would love some dessert and asked him what he had. He peered into the bottom of his empty wagon for a few seconds, looked up at me with a big smile on his face and proudly exclaimed, "Butter!"

Hey y'all...Paula would be proud!

Halloween Carnival

We had our first dose of Halloween tonight. The Speech and Hearing Clinic at Baylor University had a Halloween carnival tonight. We got the boys all dressed up in the cowboy costumes (what we had, that is...I'd fallen down on my job as Mother of the Year and didn't order the rest of the costume until last weekend) and headed off. The boys were excited to be carrying their "pumpin" buckets around.

On the "real" Halloween, we took the boys to Cameron Park Zoo for the annual Zoo Boo. We went with our neighbors, Harold and Beverly and their two year old son, Landen. Everyone had a great time! (Dare I say the parents enjoyed it just as much as the kids?) Here are a couple of pictures in their Halloween costumes taken at Zoo Boo.