I'm NOT Tired

says the little boy....

just five minutes later asleep snoring at the bottom of the steps.

Better late than never

Declan had his two month check up on November 11 and is growing like a champ. He is 10 pounds 5 ounces, (32nd percentile) 24 1/4 inches (90th percentile) and his head is 37 cm. (7th percentile;) . We are doing well on the MSPI diet even though he tested low at his appointment. That week I gave into temptation and had one of the big boy's chocolate from Halloween but now I have been following the diet and not cheating at all so his little tummy stays healthy.
We also had Declan baptised earlier this month. Pastor Steve Plank has baptized all four boys at the church where I grew up attending. After the service we had family over to the house. Declan and his cousin Waylon hung out together.

Halloween 2010

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First Trip

Declan took his first plane ride last week. (october 21st). He and I went to meet Aunt Krista and her family in Washington state. We landed in Seattle where Krista and Gracie met us at the airport. It was wonderful for Aunt Krista to meet Declan when he is still so little. She has seen all four of my boys now before they were two months old. Just a little fun thing for me. Anyway we had a great visit hanging out with Krista, Ellen, Martin and Grace. They all loved the little man and he loved them. Grace and Declan meshed very well together she got used to him crying and didn't seemed too bothered by it at the end of the trip. We look forward to Christmas at their house in just a few short months. Here are some pictures from our trip.



(some pictures are a little small you can click on the photos, it'll take you to Picasa then click on slideshow on the top left of the screen)

Two Weeks Old!!!

Declan is two weeks old. Boy does time fly. He is eating and growing like a champ. He is now 7 pounds 10 ounces and 21.5 inches long. We are having such a great time getting to know this little guy. Tristan, Colin and Liam are crazy about him always wanting to help and hold him. Liam tells us all the time that he loves Declan and is happy his baby is here now. I think what he really likes is that he is a big brother.

The Waiting is Over!!

Declan Rocho Shockey was born Friday September 10, 2010 at 10:31 a.m. weighing 7 pounds and 1 ounce and 20 1/2 inches. He's a great easy going little man so far. Tristan, Colin and Liam are totally in love with him too. He's the first thing they look for when they wake up and can't wait to hold him when they get home from school. It's amazing how little he is and how much joy and happiness he brings to our family.

Waiting ........

We're all packed and ready to go. Just waiting on the little guy to want to come out and play.

Out of the mouths of babes

This past weekend Tristan, Colin and Liam were building a robot in the basement with ALL the toys they could pile up. As they were building the following conversation took place.
Tristan: "I wish Grandma Towey could see what we are making. She'd be amazed!"
Liam: "Grandma Towey is sick."
Tristan: "No Liam Grandma Towey died."
It's both a sad and happy little conversation. I like that Tristan thinks about Grandma Towey and wants to show her things in his life. It's sad of course because she is gone.

Quote Two
As we were driving to pick up the "big boys" today Liam said: "I'm a big boy too, actually I am a training big boy."

First Day of School

Here we are again it's mid-August and Tristan and Colin have started back to school. They are at Crestridge Magnet School where Tristan is in 3rd grade and Colin is in 2nd grade. They were both very excited to be heading back this morning. Liam was looking forward to having complete access to the computer, the remote control(so he thinks) and all the toys. I'm thinking the thrill of having it all will wear out by noon and he'll want his "bruders" back.

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Finally!!!!

Colin has had a loose tooth since February or longer that finally came out on Monday!! He is very happy to be able to eat semi-normal again. However, it doesn't look like it'll be too long before the other front top one comes out. But then again this one took at least five months.

Toronto Canada

It's been quite the busy past few weeks. Gramma, Aunt Lindsey, Tristan, Colin, Liam and I took a rode trip to Toronto Canada. Gramma and Aunt Lindsey were presenting at a conference so the boys and I tagged along so that we could go to the amazing science museum and see the sights of Toronto. We arrived just after the G20 summit riots and left just before the Queen of England was coming to town. Our first day we took a boat tour around the harbor where Tristan, Colin and Liam all had the chance to captain the ship. Which they LOVED! Over the next few days we toured the city, and played at the science center. For Canada Day there was a huge display of tall ships that were really cool to see. At the science center we all had an awesome time playing, and touring the Harry Potter exhibit. Tristan was chosen to have a turn with sorting hat. He was chosen for Griffindor (unfortunately no pictures were allowed) The whole science center was amazing we ended up spending two days there. On Canada day we hit the road for what was supposed to be an hour and a half drive that took four hours to see Niagara Falls. A beautiful sight. We had a wonderful time on the trip, the boys loved that they went to another country. Krista and her family were waiting for us when we arrived home on 4th of July! More on her visit later. Enjoy a few pictures from our trip.

Happy 3rd Birthday Liam!

Liam is 3! He had a great birthday. We began the day opening gifts from us and his brothers. A lot of Buzz Lightyear and a fun ride able motorcycle. Liam's been into motorcycles for since he was one and could hear them a mile away. After a little play time and we headed to the zoo. Liam stated "It's my birthday so it's my decision." as he led us through the zoo. We saw the lions, gorillas, bears, the new Madagascar and lemur exhibit, took a ride on the skyfari and ended with a trip (minus mommy) through the kingdom of the nights to find alligators. We rested at home for a little while before meeting Gramma, Papa, Aunt Lindsey, and Uncle Brendan at Olive Garden for dinner. While we waited for our food Liam opened a few presents where he got a blue elephant from Aunt Lindsey which he LOVES, and from Gramma and Papa he got his own IPod Touch. After he opened the touch he said "I really did want this" with a huge smile from ear to ear. We are looking forward to the family party for all the boys on Sunday and for all the family to see our new house.

Our New Home

It is finally official we have a new house! We moved on May 24th but did not sign for the house until June 8th. Until those papers were signed we have been hesitant to discuss the move too much. Feeling we may jinx something since the first time around we had such bad luck just two days before the closing. Looks like things are changing and we finally have some good luck because we are now the owners of a beautiful two story four bedroom house. With LOTS of space that we are all enjoying. Greg and I are getting through the boxes and turning the house into our home. The boys have loved digging into boxes of toys they have not seen since last August. Colin said it's like a big Christmas. We are very lucky the house does not need anything right away of course there are somethings I want to do such as paint the Tristan and Colin's room and Liam's room. It will come in time. For now we are enjoying meeting new neighbors and getting things organized. Here are a few pictures from before the stuff got moved in. I will post more soon.

Memorial Day

For as long as I can remember we would go with Grandma Towey to pay our respects to family members on Memorial Day. We would begin at Forest Lawn where we would dig up a bunch iries to be replanted at someones house, then we (usually Greg, Brendan, or Lindsey) would find the vases while Tristan and Colin would go get the water a chore they LOVED to do. Grandma would get bunches of peonies and whatever other flowers were available in the garden to make boquets for the vases once they were found. After we stopped by both areas at Forest Lawn we'd jump on the interstate and head to Grandpa Ed's plot. Where we would clean off the stone and leave a boquet of flowers too. This was an important tradition for Grandma and I know she often worried that when she passed noone would continue it. We all reassured her many times that we would continue the Memorial Day tradition and this year we did just that.
Lindsey, Brendan, Gramma,Papa and the five of us visited the cemeteary Monday and did what we have done over the years. Except this year we visited Grandma Towey's grave rather than her being along side of us and the irises were not as thick as in the years past. There was only enough to put some at Grandma's stone. Which I believe she would be very happy about. As always Tristan and Colin were great helpers getting water and taking care of the stones. There is just a sense of respect and caring for others when we are there.

Happy Birthday Colin!

Colin turned seven on Friday! Now if you ask him how old he is he kept saying six. I guess it takes a day or so to get used to. Colin loves to build Lego's. He likes to be creative rather than follow the kits. He is still as goofy as ever and loves to make people laugh. He has really taken to learning languages this year and can answer simple questions in Spanish. Colin has turned into a big kid this year but likes to hold on the little kid inside by spending time with Liam. He enjoys playing Bakugan battle and pretty much anything with Tristan. However just a few months ago I did over hear him say to Tristan "I've played what you wanted my whole life. I want to play my game." A very true statement but in the end he just enjoys being with his brothers. Colin has been an excellent baseball player this season and is becoming a great pitcher. Here are a few of Colin's favorite things.
Color:
Food:
Book:
TV Show:
Toy(s):
Sport:

Hello Summer Vacation!

Friday marked the end of another school year. We now have a third grader (Tristan), a second grader (Colin) and don't forget a very excited preschooler (Liam) in our midst. Tristan and Colin were quite excited for the last day of school with the dream of summer vacation within reach but after school Colin wasn't all that happy to celebrate. He was pretty upset until we hit the ice cream store that first grade was over. I'm sure as the summer rolls on he will become more excited change and Colin haven't been a good team lately. Here are some pictures from both the first day and last day of school.

Baseball Not Quite Over

We just received the schedule for Tristan#3 and Colin's #4 baseball tournaments. They will be playing in six games. If they win any of them they will get a shot at the championship round. The last season game is on Monday May 24th at 6:00 the tournament games will begin in June. I have added the new game times to the Baseball Calendar click here or the link to the right.

Potty Training Phase Two

If you recall back in January Liam attempted potty training for one night which did not stick at the time. Now four and a half months later he's at it again. This past Friday about 5:45p.m. he came to me asking for his Buzz Lightyear underwear. We looked and couldn't find them (they're probably packed away) so I told him we could go to Target and get some now. Hey when the child is asking for it I go with it. We picked up Gramma and headed to Target where Liam was bouncing all the way to the aisle. He quickly picked out the potty chair that makes music and a couple packs of Buzz underwear. (I also got pull ups for my sanity) He then proceeded to inform me that after he goes potty in the potty chair three times he gets a Batman. This came from him listening to Colin and Tristan discuss their potty training days and charts. What Liam did not hear is that it was ten times going potty not three. For the first night I let him use go with the three times since he was interested then we made a chart using ten. He has been doing quite well especially when Daddy is around. Greg is great with the job I'm just not as on top of it as I should be. I guess I better get on board so we have this job done before our summer travels.


Liam was so excited to get the potty chair set up he couldn't wait to get it to the bathroom. He set it up in the middle of the living room.

Boy Scout Camping Trip

Tristan and Colin's Boy Scout dens went on a little camping trip Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning. Unlce Brendan was kind enough to take them. Thank you Uncle Brendan! They went to Arrowhead Park near Neola Iowa about a 45 minute drive. It was a quick trip but they had a good time. They hiked, fished, took a spin on the paddle boats, made ice cream and smores. They enjoyed watching the ceremony for the scouts who were going from cub scouts to boy scouts and are interested in being there someday.

Baseball, Birthdays and Carnivals

Since Tristan's birthday we have had eight baseball games including the start of kid pitch. Sometimes it makes the game longer and occasionally a little shorter. The kids get to pitch every other inning. They can strike out a player or pitch four balls then a coach takes over for that batter. Both Tristan and Colin have been able to pitch in a game and are actually pretty good. (even if Colin hit a kid in the head, good thing they wear helmets.)



Besides baseball we have almost moved. It fell through two days before the closing day. Big bummer but we are back at it again and hopefully this one will be the one! We have also celebrated Brendan's birthday. Liam is loving birthdays this year and is very excited there is just one more before his. We also enjoyed seeing our friends from Washington school tonight. I took the boys to Washington's carnival which was a lot of fun and we saw many of our friends and the boys loved the games. Tristan and Colin went one on one for a game of tug a war. Tristan won.




Now for our biggest best news of the month.............. We are expecting baby BOY number four in mid September.

Tristan is 8!

I know I say it every year but I can't believe Tristan is eight. Eight years old seems to be a turning point from little kid to big kid. He loves to read chapter books his favorite this year has been the Wimpy Kids series. He spends his days building Lego's, playing outside and having Bakugan battles with his brothers. Tristan is an awesome baseball player he's got a powerful swing and a strong arm. I look forward to another wonderful year and am excited to see what changes come for Tristan.
Tristan's Favorites
Color:Red
Food: Pizza and his favorite restaurant is O.
Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Movie:Diary of a Wimpy Kid
TV Show:Bakugan
Toy(s):Bakugan, Lego's
Sport: Baseball

Take me out to the ballgame ....

..or three. We began baseball season last Saturday with our first game. Followed by our second on Sunday and our third on Monday. Each time the team seems to get a little better. Both Tristan and Colin are enjoying being back. It is a little harder this year since it is coach pitch and they have to know their positions when they are on the field and what to do in them. The team is still learning where all the positions are. It's difficult when the last few years the whole team would go out and play wherever they landed. Liam of course likes to get in on the action too and plays a little catch with his friend Sam on the sidelines. I'm looking forward to seeing the boys progress this year.

Baseball Time Is Here!

Baseball is starting back up again. Tristan and Colin have moved up to Farmers League. Which means no more T and the whole team does not go on the field at once. It's becoming more like baseball. Both boys are really excited. They are the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers this year.
If you look to the right under Links you will find the words Baseball Schedule. Click it and you will be taken to a calendar with their games listed. Click on the time and it'll tell you what field they are playing. They will play at the same ball park at 80th and Western Street. I believe they are to the east as you pull in to the parking lot similar to where they have been. I will let you know if this changes as well as any change in the game schedule.
Let the games begin!

February

It seems as if February has come to an end and I have not posted anything so here is a little overview of the past month. Greg made a wonderful four course Valentines Day dinner. The dinner started with cevihe, Mexican corn chowder, duck carnitas, and lamb chops with a chipotle sauce. We also had sangria and a smoothies for the boys which they thought were great! Here are a few pics from the dinner.
We also were busy getting ready for the Pine Wood Derby which was quite the family affair. Papa cut and helped sand the cars, Daddy helped paint the body of the cars and Uncle Brendan came over and helped paint the details of the cars. Colin won first place in his den and second place overall in the pack! Tristan won second place in his den! We have also been enjoying outings with friends, eating lunch with Tristan and Colin at their school and loving the cold weather and snow. OK maybe I'm DONE with the snow but we have had a pretty good month and look forward to spring.

Potty Time

I am not the best potty trainer and really dislike the task. Of course I understand it comes with having children so here I am again with a 2 1/2 year old boy needing to begin the process. Monday I tried to put a pull up on Liam and he broke down crying hysterically. Not quite what I expected. So the other night after his bath Liam peed on the floor. When I acted very sad he said he was ready to go potty on his Diego potty chair. He tried really hard but nothing came out so he sat down on the steps to wait for the potty. (pictured above)About ten minutes later he said he was ready and this time a little came and he was very excited. He ran up and told his brothers right away. For the next hour or so he kept wanting to go potty, each time he wanted to call someone to share his accomplishment and get a little piece of chocolate. It was approaching 9:30 so I pretended not to hear him over the next half hour when he said he had to go potty. I'm thinking he just really wanted chocolate. Whatever works right!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

It truly is my favorite time of the year. I love watching and listening to the boys eagerly await Christmas morning jumping to the window because they thought they heard Santa. Tristan was up at 6:10 and had to let his little brothers sleep until 7:00. I'm sure he was in agony but he did it. Right on the dot he ran to get Colin and Liam up. Tristan and Colin had so much fun passing out presents and tearing into them. I enjoy seeing their faces light up as they see what is inside. Liam was excited but is not a 7:00 a.m. kinda guy so he was a little quiet at first. After a few minutes of watching his brothers he thought he better see what was waiting for him. We headed out into the winter wonderland (with the help of Mom's 4wheel drive) to Gramma and Papa's house to enjoy the festivities with them, Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Brendan. This time Liam was really into the elf part and helped pass out the presents with his brothers. After we opened presents we enjoyed our traditional Christmas Morning breakfast of grapefruit with brown sugar, bacon and Christmas bread. Delicious! Then off to the family room for stockings where Liam found a huge Hershey kiss and thought he was in heaven. We spent the rest of the day in pj's playing games and with new toys as there was no getting around town. We had to postpone the Towey family Chrsitmas due to the snow. Sunday we hosted the Shockey Christmas at our house. Aunt Jasonea, Uncle Jonathan, Sheridan, and Grandma Shockey enjoyed a brunch made by Greg and spent time unwrapping more gifts and playing together. Colin and Aunt Jasonea played Battle Ship while Grandma Shockey and Tristan played connect four. Between Christmas with families we took the boys sledding, ice skating, and to see a movie. Then it was time for the Huskers to play in their bowl game which they shut out the other team! And before I knew it it was 2010! We spent New Years Eve playing games, and snacking on great food. Papa lit a few fireworks to kick off 2010 and we cheered as the ball dropped in Times Square. All three boys stayed up for the new year and slept in the next day. A wonderful holiday time spent together with family.

Tristan and Colin Baseball Calendar