Deep Thoughts... by Cullen

Just a taste of our (random!) daily conversations. :)

The other day we were driving somewhere and Cullen asked, out of nowhere, "Mom, why do people eat brains?" What? Cullen, why do you think people eat brains? Cullen- "I saw it on TV." I have no idea, Cullen... I guess some people in other countries eat brain, I'm not sure. Cullen- "Where, who eats the brains?" I dunno, maybe Africa... I replied. (I'm not sure WHO in the heck eats brain... I just said Africa ((another country he's heard of recently)), and Cullen was satisfied with my answer.)

Then today in the car... Cullen said "Mom, you sure have a nice name." What is my name, Cullen? "Your name is Ashley. I think everyone in our family has a nice name, mom." I do too, Cullen. "But some people don't have nice names." Like who, Cullen? "I dunno, probably the people that eat brains."

Sesame Street Live

Keegan, Finn, Cullen, and Isaiah

the Sesame Street gang

Finn loved seeing Boo-Boo (Elmo)

Sesame Street puts on several free shows at Fort Carson every year to talk to the kiddos about deployments. It's a nice show and they give out those free light up Elmo toys as you come in. I took Cullen a few years ago, and he thought the show was okay... he just had fun playing with his buddy Isaiah. Finn really enjoyed the show, and LOVED Elmo... or Boo-Boo, as he calls him. :) Finn also started saying Keegan's name the same night. Keegan is the first non-family person he has called by name. :)

On another note, I may be starting to potty train much sooner than I planned. Finn has been staying dry all morning and peeing in the toilet a few times each day before nap. We'll see how it goes, I guess I'll just follow his lead.

Denver Aquarium

Finn was in heaven, water everywhere!!

Walking through the tunnel,
we saw lots of stingrays and people scuba diving!

Checking out the HUGE fish.

Finn-Finn was giving this fish a kiss. :)

Finn and Daddy watching the tiger.

The tiger was fun to watch, he even growled at us!

Cullen was interested in the coral reefs.

The jelly fish were really cool, both boys enjoyed them.

We went to the Denver Aquarium Saturday. We haven't been to an aquarium in awhile, the last one was when we went to the Fort Fisher Aquarium in NC when Cullen was a little younger than Finn. It was a really fun day with the boys, they were both really interested in all the fish, sharks, starfish, Nemo and Dory fish, etc. We had lunch there at the Aquarium Restaurant, and sat by another huge tank with sharks.

Last night we all went to Dairy Queen after dinner and talked about what our favorite thing at the aquarium was. Cullen's was the tiger and the flash flood (There was a flash flood simulator, if you stood by the Plexiglas, you got splashed.. Cullen did.) Not sure what Finn's favorite was, we couldn't understand his answer, I think it was stomping in all the puddles in the aquarium or all the water in general. Sean's favorite was the tiger and the lion fish, and mine was the jellyfish or seahorses.

We noticed there is a Children's Museum right next to the aquarium. The boys had so much fun at the one in Portland, I'm already planning on taking them up there sometime this winter.

my boys are growing up...

I can't believe how fast the boys are growing up! Cullen is reading up a storm. He spotted that Super Friends book when we were out last week, so I bought it for him. He's reading it with little to no mistakes now. It's a huge step up from the Bob Books, and we aren't even all the way through them yet!

In other news, Finn peed in the toilet for the first time last night! I knew it would happen soon. :) He was so proud and he laughed and laughed. He wants to be a big boy like Cullen so bad. I'm not going to start potty training him yet, he's still so young. I guess I'll just keep offering it to him before bath time.

It won't be long and I'll have one in school and the other in big boy underwear....

POST EDIT- Finn told me he had to go potty right before nap today, I let him try and he did it again!! Yay Finn!

I should add, Finn is talking a lot now! One Sean's favorite things Finn says is "get 'em, get 'em, get 'em" as he runs after Cullen to rough-house. :) Boys.

Chicks dig scars/day 3

Cullen got a gash on his nose at the pool on day 3 of Coco and Josh's visit. It didn't bleed much, but it's a decent sized gash. I took him to an Urgent Care place and there was nothing we could do... didn't need stitches and you can't use the glue (Cullen has had both done already!) on the bridge of your nose.

We sure enjoyed our visit with Coco and Josh! Thanks for making the drive out! We miss you already. :)

Coco & Josh visit day 2

hiking Red Rock Canyon
a view of Garden of the Gods in the background

climbing on the rocks

Josh brought his bike and biked
Red Rock Canyon.

a panoramic view of the North Face on Pikes Peak

Getting ready to take the cog up the mountain.
Finn was so excited to ride the choo-choo!!

Pikes Peak is also called America's Mountain.
It is what inspired Katharine Bates to write
America the Beautiful.

Showing Courtney the path we walked up last week.

Finn's first time to the top of Pikes Peak.

Coco looking over the North Face.

On our way to get our doughnut!

Day 2 was busy too... we got up and headed to Red Rock Canyon, explored, had lunch in Old Colorado City, then over to Garden of the Gods. Then we headed home for a quick nap, and then we were off to ride the Cog Railroad up to the top of Pikes Peak! It was fun riding the cog up after hiking up last week. :)

Coco & Josh visit day 1

Panoramic view of the Royal Gorge Bridge.

There's the Aerial Tram in the background.

The boys loved watching the river below.
Cullen asked me what "that red thing is"...
I explained to him it was a man by the river wearing a red shirt.
When you are 1,053' high, people look really small!

Coco and Josh did the rip cord over the Royal Gorge.
Can only imagine the views they saw!

Finn getting a better view of the
Arkansas River from the bridge!

Cullen and Josh on the Aerial Tram.

Coco and Finn on the Aerial Tram.

Getting ready to watch the Sky Sox game.

Cullen and Finn holding the baseball they
got at the game.

Coco and Josh came out to visit us. We had a lot of fun showing them around! We packed a lot into each day. The boys loved every minute of it!