Kylie's 8th

To celebrate Kylie's 8th birthday we went roller skating!  Kylie was excited to get out on the floor and skate.  Aiden would not put on skates for any bribe; he was mainly interested in the arcade games.  Ty was willing to try, but he didn't last long.  He kept leaning and falling over.  Marley enjoyed being pushed around the skating rink.  The kids spent most of their time on the indoor play ground and playing ski ball and other games.  Aiden choose Pop Rocks (candy) as his prize for all the tickets he won playing games- he was excited when they popped in his mouth.  He shared some with his little brother and Ty cried when they popped in his mouth.  All the kids had fun and we are so thankful for my sweet niece, Kylie.     

A look back

2011- In a word . . . "busy".  I started working in March and managing the full-time job of mom/wife and the part-time job of server has been difficult.  We have few nights to have dinner together as a family and some days Jeff and I see each other for just a minute as we exchange vehicles at my restaurant, but here's the good news, this year alone we have paid off $12,000 in debt!  I know this sacrifice will be beneficial to our family, especially the boys, which makes it all worth it.  Our goal is to be debt free (except our house) in 2012.

I consider myself blessed to be able to stay at home with the boys while they are young.  I LOVE my cuddle time in the mornings, getting on the floor playing legos, and running around outside with them.  I know they'll be grown before I know it and this time I have while they are young is special.

They have developed a sweet friendship this year.  Rarely are they apart because their time together is so much fun.  Ty follows Aiden around and lets him tell him what to do.  They do everything together and they share everything, including toys, clothes, and food.  We are starting to confuse their clothes because they are just a size apart and Aiden is often confused because something he just wore will be in Ty's closet the next week.

Aiden is such an interesting little boy.  He is fascinated in electronics of every kind- vacuum, blender, drill, Jeff's iPhone, any electronic toy and of course his game system.  Anything with a plug or a button is interesting to him and he wants to figure out how it works.  Sometimes he will intentionally press the wrong buttons just to see what will happen.  He has gained independence being able to do many things on his own.  He is helpful around the house; recently loading his own dishes in the dishwasher.  He is still very uncomfortable around strangers and has strong separation anxiety.  He doesn't speak to people he doesn't know, but will ask hundreds of questions during the day and especially in the car.  Aiden loves numbers especially those associated to people.  He asks and tells me the age of all of his relative.  Weight is another number he loves- him and Ty use my scale daily and he wants to use other scales at different homes.  He tells me his weight (42 lbs) and wants to know mine and others' weight as well.

Ty is so sweet and laid back.  90 percent of the day he has a smile on his face.  He is talking a lot now, sometimes English and sometimes his own language I don't understand.  He mostly uses one word at a time but he has spoken a few phrases.  He sleeps well at night, naps for about 2 hours each day and loves to be still and cuddle when he wakes up.  He loves his Dad and in certain times wants only to be with him and no one else.  His favorite toys are his Elmos, a remote control car (which he knows how to operate), and books.  He LOVES books and requests to read multiple times a day by bringing Jeff or I the book and putting his arms up to be placed in a lap and read to.  Ty is very coordinated and can throw and catch a ball well.  He eats well but has certain favorites which change from day to day.  He loves bread, cereal, chips, strawberries and french fries.

Some of my memories of 2011:

Coaching Upwards cheer leading in Jan-Mar.  I had a great group of girls and I really enjoyed the experience of some "girl time" each week.

The boys' Train Birthday Party in February at our church.  Ty slept the first half and stuffed his face with cake.  Aiden talked about it for months afterword.

My first week at Olive Garden in March.  I had training for 5 days and it was a hard week to be away from the boys.

My birthday in April and the gift Jeff gave me (camera) to my total surprise.

A short trip to St. Simons for a wedding with Scott and Kari in April- my first night away from Ty.

Joseph's wedding in May- taking the boys with us to Tennessee and Aiden wanting to "dance like a wedding" every night for months afterword (even now).

Elina's wedding in June- a really fun date for Jeff and I.

Pool days at Kristie's house in the summer.

Our beach trip with the Baxter family in September.  It was a fun week long trip.  The boys loved the beach.

Our FPU class at church in Aug-Nov.  We were privileged to be used by God and we learned so much!

I know God has great plans for us next year.  I am excited to watch the boys grow and develop.  I'm amazed at all God has blessed me with and I know His plan is better than mine so I will trust in Him.

Jeremiah 29:11
¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Christmas 2011

In spite of all 3 boys (Jeff included) being sick, we had a great Christmas!  Santa came and brought the bicycle Aiden had hoped for!  He also brought a tool set, playdoh, a remote control car, another jumpsuit for Aiden and Elmo bag and a laptop for Ty. 

Aiden was unenthusiastic to say the least when he first woke up.  I said "Look what Santa brought Aiden", and he casually said "oh".  He got more excited when we started opening gifts.

Aiden tried out his bike in the house and was a natural.  He rode it everywhere!

Ty woke up shortly after Aiden.  Santa brought him toothpaste in his stocking.  Both the boys had a Thomas spin toothbrush in their stockings, which was a big hit.  Aiden went in the bathroom and tested it out.  :-)

Aiden and Dadda picked out a special gift for Ty- an Elmo cell phone.  Aiden helped wrap it and here he is giving his brother his gift.  Most of Ty's gifts were Elmo related and he loved his phone.

Jeff completely surprised me with an iPad.  I was shocked and I love it!

Nannie came over and brought lots of presents, including this basketball goal.  Ty made a basket on his first try.  They both liked shooting hoops!

Ty got a bike of his own too!

The rock-n-roll Elmo was a big hit with both the boys.  Ty gave Elmo a kiss and danced with him as he sang.

Aiden wanted to put his new "jumpsuit" on shortly after he opened it and he kept it on all day. 

Nannie and the boys. 

We enjoyed Christmas lunch- Beef Tenderloin, Mac-n-cheese, Sweet Potato Souffle, and Green Bean Casserole and then the boys went down for a nap- Aiden laid down in his room for a rest (no sleeping). 

Later Nana, Papa, Gram and Chief stopped by to see what Santa brought.  They gave the boys a Hallmark recordable book- Charlie brown.  Papa showed it to Aiden. 
Aiden rode his bicycle outside for a bit and he showed everybody all of his new toys.  We all sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and ate cake.   

Christmas is so much fun with the boys.  Seeing their faces light up is more fulfilling than receiving gifts.  Now, I need to get all my boys healthy again.

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve with Nana, Papa, Uncle Cale, Aunt Mandy and Uncle Collin.  After munching on some yummy appetizers, we opened presents!  Aiden opened his first gift and said "oh! It's a charger for my leapster!".  I was surprised he knew exactly what it was; he couldn't wait to use it.  He also opened a Cars 2 game for his Leapster and an "Alphie" Robot, that both the boys play with now. 

Ty opened Elmo Slippers, an Elmo school bus and Lego's that built . . . yup you guessed it . . . Elmo!  Of course he yelled "Mo-mo" as he opened each one of his gifts.  The boys played with their toys for a bit and then Ty got cranky fast.  He hasn't been feeling well and nights are his worst.

Aiden opening "Alphie".

We got home, the boys got a bath and Ty went right to bed.  Aiden was so excited to plug in his charger and he said his leapster needed to charge for 40 hours, so we let it charge overnight, so he could play.  Aiden and I made cookies for Santa- chocolate chip.  We put them out along with a glass of milk on a table near the chimney.  I tucked Aiden in and it didn't take him long to fall asleep.  I think I was more excited than he was. :-)

Santa

After a few hiccups, we finally got to go see Santa tonight!  (We had planned on going Monday- but Ty injured his toe (not serious); and almost couldn't go today because Aiden got sick this morning)  It was our only available night, so we decided to make it happen.  

The line was longer that we had expected, so the boys watched other kids sit and talk with Santa.  Most enjoyed their visit, but the family just before us, who had 2 young girls (about 2 and 3 years old), were not excited about seeing Santa (to say the least).  They both screamed when their mother sat them on Santa's lap.  Our boys just stood and watched; Jeff and I tried to distract them, but their attention kept turning to the screaming girls.  

When it was our turn we all walked up to Santa and he was very friendly.  Of course Aiden was very shy and didn't want to talk to Santa.  After a few minutes, he finally turned to Santa and said "bicycle".  It was the only word he spoke to him, then he turned back towards me.  He refused to answer Santa's questions about being a good boy, his age or what he likes to play with.  

Ty seemed fine with Dadda beside him as Santa talked to him.  He was interested in the decorations around him and walked around by Santa's chair.  Then it was time to take the picture.  We sat Ty on Santa's lap and stepped back and he immediately got upset.  Our typically social toddler did not want to sit with Santa.  I think the girls before him influenced his reaction, because it was unusual for Ty.  Aiden sat on Santa's other knee and Ty calmed down when he realized Aiden was sitting with Santa.  The very patient photographer managed to get a good shot, after I wiped Ty's tears.  Then the boys got on Santa's sleigh and they thought that was fun.  When they went to get out of the sleigh, Ty reached for Santa to help him step out and I thought to myself, 'now he decides to like Santa'.  Afterword, we ate dinner at Zaxby's and Aiden told us all the things he wants for Christmas- a long list. :-)

Schubert Family Christmas

This weekend we celebrated Christmas with Gram & Chief, Uncle Marcus, Aunt Shelley, Payton, Kylie and Marley.  Ty was jumping/skipping out of excitement when everyone walked through the door and he saw all of his cousins.  The kids were all over the house doing different activities all day.  They love getting together to play with their cousins.  Aiden talks about being as big as Payton one day and being able to do things he can do.  Aiden and Kylie spent sometime upstairs in my old bedroom laughing and running around;  I think she likes to tell him what to do and he actually listens to her.  He locked Marley out of the room a few times and we made him let her in. :-)  They played a fishing game, a dancing game on the Wii and tried out all of their new toys.

We opened presents and the boys loved tearing into the paper.  Ty wanted to help everyone else open their presents too!  Aiden's favorite gift was his "jumpsuit" from Aunt Shelley.  It's a footed sleeper and he says "it's not pajamas, its a Jumpsuit!"  He has seen Ty wear them and has wanted one for quite some time.  Ty got a large wooden train and a Tonka firetruck that he loves to push around the house.  Everybody liked Payton's remote control helicopter, which he flew all around the house.

After the kids opened presents, they were entertained with all their new stuff, so the adults played some games.  We laughed and yelled (as Schuberts tend to do) and some got competitive, but we had a blast.  It was so much fun and a great way to celebrate Christmas!  The boys were worn out, but didn't want to leave.  Ty fell asleep before we were out of the neighborhood.  This was the first of many celebrations this Christmas season.  We are so blessed to have such an amazing family.

Gingerbread House Playdate

Sadie and Clara came over today for a playdate.  We decided to build a homemade (not from a kit) gingerbread house.  I had never built one, but I figured a few graham crackers, some icing and candy were all it took.  It took a few attempts to build a house that was sturdy enough to stand on its own.  I finally got the crackers in the right spots which made a strong house so the kids could decorate.  After some convincing to leave the playroom, Sadie came to the table and put some "flare" on the house.  Aiden was very excited to decorate and eat a few pieces of candy at the same time.  Ty and Clara were interested in the older kids' project for a minute, but when they realized they had candy, that was all they wanted, especially Ty.  He probably ate half of the m n m's. 

Our finished product!

After the kids put on just about all they could on the outside of the house, they put the remaining candy inside the house (notice m n m's & marshmallows).  It was a lot of fun having the girls come over.

Photo Shoot

Once again, Kelsey did an amazing shoot with our family.  Here are some of my favorites.  

Underwear

Today, the boys were playing in Aiden's room for a while and Aiden walked out like this . . .

At first I thought he had put on one of Ty's diapers, but after peeling them off, I discovered he had put on TWELVE pairs of underwear.  He thought it was hilarious and I had to laugh too. :-)

Ties

The boys wore their new ties to church today.

PJs

The boys are eating cereal in their Elmo/Christmas Pajamas- I thought they looked cute!

O Christmas Tree

We went to a local tree farm to pick out a tree today.  Aiden was very excited and remembered from last year that we put candy canes on the tree; so he kept asking if we were putting candy on the tree.  The boys ran through the trees hiding from each other.  We found a tree and Aiden helped Dadda cut it down- Ty just supervised. :-) 

Aiden helped carry the tree, but he could only use one hand because he didn't want to put his stick down.

The boys loved putting ornaments on the tree.  The bottom half of the tree had lots and lots of ornaments- even multiple ornaments on the same branch.  Ty had trouble with some, so he would hand them to me and then point to a specific spot on the tree where he wanted me to hang it.

Of course when I pull the camera out- he is a little ham!

Our lights on the tree are plugged in to a "clapper", so the boys love to turn them on and off.  Because of the constant noise, the lights will often turn on and off by themselves.  

Our Christmas tree has character thanks to the boys and I wouldn't have it any other way. :-)  

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving and Jeff's Aunt Susan's house in Douglasville.  We enjoyed an amazing southern feast and fellowship with family and friends.  The boys loved spending time outside and the weather was perfect.  Susan and Mike have a spectacular yard with a variety of plants and trees; they even have a Koi pond in the back yard.  The fish are very friendly and love to be fed cheerios!

We tossed leaves in the air in the front yard.

Dadda helped Aiden climb a tree!

After dinner we went for a walk.  Jeff and I took turns pulling the boys in the wagon, but they were heavy, so after they got out to walk around, Aiden actually pushed me for a minute and then he pulled Ty on the way back.

We have so much to be thankful for but especially for God's faithfulness.  I am in awe of how He loves me and of all He has given me.

Toddler Language

Almost every time we go for a ride in the car, Ty will randomly yell out "bee-bee" (which means Baby).  This has been happening for months now and Jeff and I were both confused by it.  I started thinking about the babies Ty has been around in his short life and realized that Logan, who we always called "baby Logan" was who he was thinking about.  I kept Logan earlier this year for a few months in our home and Logan's mom drove a red mustang.  Now, every time Ty sees a mustang (regardless of color), he yells out "beebee".  I was so relieved to finally figure it out, but it amazes me how observant both of the boys are in the car and how well they recognize cars.  They will see cars that their grandparents drive and point them out.

We had a similar situation with Aiden when he was about Ty's age.  Every time we passed a certain spot on the interstate he would make a noise that sounded like "fffff".  He also made that sound every time he saw an animal (mainly cats and dogs)- I still have no idea what the correlation is.  It took months but we determined that he was looking at a billboard that was almost hidden in the trees, which had a golden retriever on it.

Sometimes I think Aiden understands Ty better than I do.  Aiden talks to Ty like he talks to anyone else, and 90% of the time Ty listens and does what his big brother tells him to do.  Aiden will often interpret when Ty is mumbling and he'll tell me "Mom, he wants some milk" or whatever he thinks Ty is trying to communicate to me.  I guess it's that sibling connection they have. :-)

Halloween

On Sunday night, we went to the fall festival at church.  Aiden loved seeing all his friends- here he is with Sadie and Bailey.

They had lots of carnival type games for the kids to play and their reward was a piece of candy.  Ty played putt-putt and Aiden was shooting hoops. 

They also had cornhole, bowling, and some others.  Aiden's favorite was the fishing game where he put his fishing pole into a hole in a box and he got a piece of candy on his hook. (it required very little skill).  We attempted the cake walk twice (as a family) with no luck.  The weather turned chilly and we headed home.

We had a blast on Halloween night!  The boys LOVED trick-or-treating; especially Ty.  After a few houses, he was a pro.  Jeff would push him to the driveway of a house and he would hop out and head for the door.  At first he couldn't say "trick-or-treat", so he just said "please", but by the end of the night he was saying it.  It came out like "da-da-dee", almost like he was singing, but he held out his bucket every time and gladly accepted his candy.  Of course Aiden was shy and only said "trick-or-treat" a few times.

Ty insisted on holding his bucket on the side of the stroller, but he never dropped it.

Aiden was showing me all of his candy!

The boys picked out one piece of candy (a sucker) when we got home.  They had a great time and they were the cutest ninja and soldier I had ever seen.  Don't you think? :-)