Picture Wednesday, a quick trip, and tantrums

Little Finn at 26 weeks old.

Glenn just started playing with a Summer Men's Lacrosse league and gets to play games every Wednesday night.  It's not as easy as it used to be to actually watch Glenn play.  There are two very distracting little boys along for the ride now, but we still have a great time.  It's good for the boys to watch Glenn play and they have a lot of fun too.  Finn was happy just rolling around and smiling at all the other kids, although he lost his pants to his second pooplosion of the day right after we arrived.

Tate had fun watching Toy Story on the DVD player another family brought.

Finn turns 6 months old this week.  How on earth did that happen?  It's entirely unfair that I should have such a sweet, happy baby who grows up so fast!  I don't think I'd mind near as much if he were ornery, mean, or really horribly ugly.  Maybe then I'd actually hope he'd grow up so those things would change, but alas, he's a little doll and he still insists on growing.
This past weekend we drove to Utah for the first of what I imagine will be many many times.  The drive was actually not as bad as I imagined.  I'm not terribly fond of long drives to begin with, throw in the two kids and I was sure it would be a nightmare.  But, in spite of poor Tate vomiting just once in the car each way, it was not a terrible experience.  I wonder if Tate gets car sick.  You'd think if he was car sick he'd throw up the entire time and not just once.  Poor kiddo.  He was very sad both times.  Huffing and sobbing in his car seat as we tried to pull the car over and saying over and over, "Please make me feel better!"  He's very sweet and sad when he's sick.
The reason for the quick weekend trip was that Glenn's little boy's lacrosse team was playing in a tournament in Park City and he wanted to go.  So the boys and I camped out at Nanna's and played with Kenzie,

swam with Nanna,

checked out a great new splash pad,

and of course enjoyed stories from Grampa.  We had a good time and are glad we went even though it was a fast trip.
It's been a rough week for Tate.  All I can do is hope that it's just a phase.  It was nice to have my mom around to witness some of the fits and laugh with me because sometimes it's hard to laugh when I'm facing several days of being patient and dealing with it alone because Glenn's out of town or busy with work and lacrosse.  It started a week and a half ago when the boys and I went to a farmer's market and I let Tate pick a cookie from a bakery stand.  He told the lady he wanted the pink cookie and as soon as he had the bag in hand he decided he wanted the green one.  I told him it was too late and that the pink cookie would be delicious.  All the way home, all through lunch and a few time out breaks he absolutely lost it.  Screamed, sobbed, and shouted for 45 minutes about how he made the wrong choice.    "I want the green cookie!  Mom, can we please go back and get it!"  He took a nap and woke up still fighting for control when he thought about the cookie that he might have had.  Seriously, kid?  You still got a cookie out of this deal.  What are you crying about?  And since then, about once a day he has an absolute melt down about some decision.  Chocolate milk or OJ?  Little Einsteins or Wild Kratts?  Peanut butter and honey or Mac and Cheese?  He goes back and forth over and over and completely loses it.  He has to sit on time out more than once while he tries to calm down and even then he never seems to reach a resolution.  I've tried through the 2 year old stage to let him have some choices.  It seemed to help him feel more in control but lately it's like he cannot handle the possibility of making a choice he might regret so he goes back and forth and completely wigs out.  Maybe I should just decide everything for him for a while. Today was particularly rough.  I sure hope it's just a phase because it is ridiculous.
I do want to write some cute things he's done lately, as much for my sanity as anything, because he usually is a very sweet kiddo.  We have this candy jar on a table.  Just sitting there all the time.  Only once has Tate ever taken a candy without asking...that we know of.  He knows he has to ask first.  It's hard to say no when he walks into the computer room carrying it like this, right in front of his face, and says, "Mom, may I please have one of these candies?"  So sweet.

 He's a very social boy.  We need to get going inviting some families in the ward over for dinner because we need some friends, for us, and for Tate.  He thinks every kid is his buddy.  Even kids he's never met before.  Yesterday I told him we were going to the pool and he said, "And will there be kids there?"  When we pulled up in our stoller he started yelling, "Hey guys!  Hey guys, I'm here!  I'm here now guys!  I just came!" to the kids in the pool...who we've never seen before.
We have some dear friends who just moved to the area from Austin.  They have two kids and Tate loves them to pieces.  Yesterday they came over to play for a little while and when they got here Tate was still sleeping.  I went up to get him and told him they were here.  He came down the stairs and said, "Hey Tori and Lizzy!  I woke up so happy because you were here!"
Thank heavens for all of the sweet moments.  They make the 3 year old emotional tantrums bearable.