Boys and their Guns

Josh started a guys group called Man Up last year that encourages men to lead lives of integrity and character while doing manly, adventurous outings.  He felt God was calling him to help men clearly understand their role as a man and is being obedient to the calling.  The latest monthly event was a gun experience at the Winchester shooting range.  The guys had a great time and Josh came home carrying his target like an excited little boy!  Sorry honey, but probably not going to hang that on the fridge...although could be helpful if we ever get an intruder!

SOME OF THE MEN IN ACTION....

Man Up future member Landon shows off his guns.............

Brotherly Love

Some of my favorite moments at home are just watching the boys interact with each other.  I love when they laugh together, wrestle together, and just find the joy in each other.  It melts my heart to see Brody's face light up each time Landon walks by and when Landon is thoughtful and kind to his little Brodster.  Just yesterday Landon and Brody were eating our last graham cracker as a snack - Landon noticed that Brody was done with his and asked if he could give him his last piece.  Um sure you can - how sweet is that!!  Almost makes up for the glass of water you dumped on him earlier.....

Love in action...

Spaghetti Face

Well, I must admit I hate when it's time for your toddler to start "feeding" themselves.  Brody has been on finger foods for a few months, but now I am surrending the fork and spoon.  As if as mothers we don't have enough messes to clean - lets add food to the walls, floor, and ceiling!  This has been especially hard because Brody is such a neat and clean eater when I feed him.  But it has to start sometime, so might as well start with a bang - spaghetti!! 

Nicknames

Not really sure why, but I always wanted a nickname growing up.  It seemed that all my friends had cool ones, but I was always just Erin.  I mean how do you shorten that?  Air?  In?  Air?  In?  Sounds more like a relaxation technique, but finally in college my dream came true when one of Josh's friends, after a few too many beers, yelled "Errrrrnn! (that's earn with a strong accent on the R)  What's up?"  and there it was...my first nickname.  Hadn't heard it in years, but it must be a college thing, because last week at Crave, a guy said Hey Errrrn!  Aww, the memories!  My nickname was back.  Well, I doubt it's going to catch on and I'll just learn to live without a nickname, but it got me thinking about all the nicknames we have given our boys.

Landon is taking after me in his lack of nicknames....his short list includes the Landman, Landy (his self-given nickname, not really a fan) and that's about it besides the occasional Bubba

Brody is another story....think he earns about one a week including:  the Brodman, the Brodster, Brody baby, Brody boy, Baby soda, Bro, Brody Mac, B-boy, Brodinator, Da Brods, Bromeister, BB, Bro brother, Double B (for his initials, not chest size) and the latest addition I gave this week....watch out for the Brodeo!

Uh-oh

Brody said uh-oh for the first time today and it reminded me that this was Landon's first word.  Maybe that should have been my warning!  Landon is such a fun, sweet boy, but boy has he mastered the uh-ohs!

You may remember some of these antics in a previous post I made...
- Flinging yogurt with a spoon at a little girl in his class (one whom he often speaks fondly of)....I'd like to hope he was offering a free facial?
- Eating a handful ants he found on the ground
- Mood swings! As I walk in his room and tell him good morning, he throws a shoe across the room and yells, NO! It's not a good morning! After my good morning time-out to him, I get a big hug and he tells me it's a great morning!
- Taking a truck through his peanut butter and jelly and smearing pb all over the table, "Hey mom, my truck got stuck in the mud!"
- Attempting to give his monkey a swirlie
- I hear him sarcastically saying, "Mom, come here and see this fabulous mess!" He has dumped several cupfuls of water out of the tub in the time it takes me to grab his towel.
- Pretending a pvc pipe is a fire hose and sticking it in an exhaust pipe on Josh's truck



Well, it's a year later and things haven't changed all that much :)  Here's our latest list of uh-ohs.....
- Climbing on top of the counter and eating over 1/2 of a 9x13 pan of brownies (He calls me very excitedly - "Mom - you gotta see this!  His face covered in chocolate and a huge grin on his face he informs me that he ate brownies!!  I just kept eating and eating and eating, but now my belly kind of hurts."
- Writing permanant marker on his face and stomach, and not one to leave Brody out he colored his head and hair too
- Opening a random emergency door sign at Wal-Mart --- seriously the loudest alarm EVER (the whole store was staring) and even the manager on duty couldn't figure out how to turn it off, that was an embarrassingly long 10 minutes! 
- Bathroom destroying - toilet paper all over, two boxes of kleenexes pulled out one by one, hairspray and water sprayed everywhere!, makeup broken and used --- happened 3 times? now
- Finding my cell phone and making late night calls to grandparents (My mom calls Josh's phone at 11 pm and asks...Are you aware I have been talking to Landon for the past 30 minutes??  WHAT!?!
- Can't find him so I call and call, "Mom I'm in a spaceship"...which means a dryer with the door shut!

For the record - I do watch him very closely, almost smothering at times, but he is so sneaky and quick.  He keeps our lives interesting!!  But you gotta love em!  I know one day all the craziness and creativity will take him places....although lately he has told me he wants to be toilet paper, an autistic kid, janitor, and bus boy when he grows up!  Let's hope he changes his mind on those BIG dreams :)  Only God KNOWS what's in store for this uh-oh boy!