silly mommy

Who doesn't need to stop and smell the flowers once in awhile!! :) Mommy's sweet boys.

Over Spring Break we went on our first of many DC zoo trips. We joined cousins Kate, Gabi, Jack, Aunt Kristen, Oma and Opa, Uncle Ben and Alia. What a day! It was a little chilly at the end, but we enjoyed all the animal acitivity!

My mom sent in some fancy treats and we finally checked them out. The boys LOVED it!! I must admit, PopRocks are pretty fun!!

Spring Flings

Well the weather has improved and we are having lots and lots of outdoor fun. Nature is big in our house, so we have been finding lots of bugs for Nick's new Critter Cabin. He is pretty brave and will go after just about anything. I keep my distance from spiders, but can do most other critters. We have fun with our big backyard and our crazy hill full of suprises. There are usually a few bunnies, some squirrels and even some deer out there. We are waiting patiently for our friendly hummingbird to return and we have filled up his feeder already! Owen is talking up a storm and is really in love with basketball right now. He has been working on his version of a jump shot and I will try to get that video posted soon. It is very cute. You can hear his gears working through all of the motions: 1. get ball, 2. put ball over head, 3. rock back and forth on feet holding ball overhead and trying not to fall, 4. PUSH it up and out of your hands, 5. watch it go in or somewhere near the hoop and CELEBRATE!! He is so cute. Feisty and a bit bullheaded, but very very cute. They both keep us laughing (most of the time). The Easter Bunny was a big hit this year. Nick's basket was on the ceiling fan in the family room!! Crazy bunny. He had a great time with an egg hunt at church and a suprise egg hunt in our yard--still don't know who that was, but thanks! We had a great dinner with the Duda's and stuffed ourselves with ham and lamb--YUM.

winter fun

We have had quite the exciting March. A big snow storm came in the "nick" of time for Nick. He was thrilled to wake up to 6 inches of fluff and would have been out there in his pajamas if I had let him! We waited till after breakfast since the winds were high and it was COOOOLD. What a great time everyone had just romping around and plopping down and eating it and exploring. We were so tired of hearing about all the snow in Michigan and Wisconsin and this stuff is FUN! We have a great sledding hill at the end of the cul-de-sac where all the big kids play and spent endless hours sliding down the hill and trudging back up. Owen was not so happy with all of this as Ithink he got his mother's poor circulation and gets cold hands and feet that become painful in minutes. He sledded a few times, but would be Ok watching the activity. Also--Nick finally learned how to ride that tricycle of his. It all clicked this past weekend--steering was especially challenging, but all of a sudden I let go and off he went. Sound effects of course were so much fun--tongue out, making those car noises. He is thrilled with himself and goes down the sidewalk, turns around and heads back about a hundred times a day. It is awesome to watch and I think Owen will be close on his heels! MUST DO WHAT OLDER BROTHER DOES!! Owen likes to growl when you try to help him, much to mommy's chagrin.

Mommy weekend

Well today is a new day and things are slowly improving in our house. Owen still sounds like an 80 year old smoker, but his energy is back and he is starting to get into trouble again, a tell-tale sign of better health! I enjoyed some of the cuddling I got to do with both boys as they would melt in to my chest and fall asleep, snoring and drooling peacefully for a couple of hours, but now we are back to regular business of crashing cars, running races around the kitchen island and trying to figure out what Owen is up to when it gets quiet! He is the proverbial "dickens".

Great news came on Feb 25 that my good friend from Oshkosh had a beautiful and healthy baby boy. I had guessed they would go more traditional with names, but they picked an ultra cool one: Cole Joseph. He is a little cutie pie--all 6 pounds of him at 9 days early! (Why were my babies so BIG??!!) It sounds like she had a long labor, but not too intense and she held off on the epidural till a few hours before pushing, so I could not be more proud. It really is amazing watching my friends become mothers and fathers. I beam with pride as I think of her gazing into his eyes at whatever time it is in the morning and the thoughts that surround that little miracle. I enjoyed that time I had with my boys and love hearing about it from my friends. Life is truly a gift and a miracle!

I am looking forward to a good weekend. Andy is going with friends to a rustic cabin in West Virginia to do what boys do---ride 4 wheelers and drink beer. I hope he gets some much needed rest (ha ha) and some relaxation. He has been working very hard lately and deserves to blow off some steam. I have plans for Saturday night to go see a movie and out to dinner with two of my best girlfriends, Kelly and Patti. Can't wait to see them and just hang out. I am blessed with good friends and always look forward to spending time with them--baby free!!

I better get some things done while the house is quiet--maybe even my 20 mins. of reading. We have a book club and the Twilight series is in full effect. Many of the girls are quite smitten by young Edward Cullen--I must admit, he does not do it for me, but the stories are entertaining. I am starting #2--and at my turtle reading pace I might be finished by Easter!

Checking this blogging thing out

I figured since I am currently OBSESSED with my friend Sara's blog about her pregnancy and the beginning of a new life with a baby I would try again at the blogging thing. I entered one post almost 3 years ago and am not sure why I could not commit. It probably goes back to my difficulty with journaling as well. I just lose interest in the everyday events....it all starts to sound the same....BUT with two little rascals running around--no two days are EVER the same and so many great things happen in their lives, that I thought I better start recording it here. Even reading that first post brought a tear to my eye. Just thinking about how sweet that day was with our family around us and Nick was just a little baby. Amazing how time flies by and now we have Owen with us on our journey. I hope it is enjoyable for us all. I hope I can keep up!!

Update on the boys. NICK is 3 and OWEN is 17 mos. Both are sick right now, so that encompasses our thoughts. Fevers, coughs, runny noses...all the good stuff. I took Owen to the ER for a chest xray and flu check this morning. He was such a trooper and it all came back clear. Just a really bad cold. We left with steroids and will be doing the nebulizer treatments in full force for both boys. I guess this respiratory thing is going to be the deal for them--it strikes them hard and lasts for a while. They are both in pretty good spirits despite being really sick, so we are lucky for that. Currently the house is quiet as all 3 of my boys nap!!

The Duda Family 4

This was a shot of our happy family at Christmas. Nick is holding "Ralph" the Elf on the Shelf. Ralph came in handy during some of those tough times before Christmas when behaviors can be monitored and reported to Santa!

Our Little Nicholas is not so little anymore! We celebrated his baptism this past weekend with lots of friends and family! Grandma Mary was here to take care of him as Kristin went back to work and Nanutz (John) joined us for the weekend of fun. All of the Duda's were together also, with a fun hang out day at Kristen and John's on Saturday. Aunt Katie and Uncle Roger even came from NYC to admire our little one. NIcholas performed his own rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in church, but looked wonderful in the 100+ year old baptism gown handed down from the Baum family. It was a wonderful day, albeit very very hot! Thanks to all who joined us!