Snippets from our conversation as we were driving in the car after daycare
Me: We're going to the library today! That means we have to be on oooour...
Boys: ...BEST BEHAVIOR! (only that last word sounds more like "BEhmmhhmIOR" because that's a hard word for 2-and-a-half year olds)
Me: And what does 'best behavior' mean?
Joseph: NO RUNNING! NO SCREAMING & CRYING!
Luke: We walk slowly and talk QUIIIETLY!
They temper their running only slightly, and as you can imagine, their quiet voices aren't all that quiet. But I give them points for having the general concept.
My boys are closing on 2 years and 9 months old. Holy Moly!!!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Words of Encouragement
We are in the throes of potty training at the moment.
Joseph is doing fantastically. He went all of yesterday without a single accident! Luke... Well after a big setback, he'll sit but won't pee. Now after his phantom pees, he jumps up as happy as can be and excitedly screams, "GOOD JOB!!" Errrr, you forgot something there, Little Man.
Right now we're doing everything we can to encourage him to get back on the wagon. And one of those things includes sitting on the big potty to go while he tries with the little potty. Everybody pees.
The other night I was performing my motherly duties, and Luke was pretending to pee. After completing my business, Joseph who was standing right beside me in the bathtub gives me the most beaming smile and yells, "Good job, Mommy! You go pee pee in the potty like a big boy!!" Yes, I guess I did. So I kindly nod and tell him, "Why, thank you!"
There's a lot of that going around these days. And I must admit, I like the validation.
Yesterday they were 2 years & 7 months old.
Joseph is doing fantastically. He went all of yesterday without a single accident! Luke... Well after a big setback, he'll sit but won't pee. Now after his phantom pees, he jumps up as happy as can be and excitedly screams, "GOOD JOB!!" Errrr, you forgot something there, Little Man.
Right now we're doing everything we can to encourage him to get back on the wagon. And one of those things includes sitting on the big potty to go while he tries with the little potty. Everybody pees.
The other night I was performing my motherly duties, and Luke was pretending to pee. After completing my business, Joseph who was standing right beside me in the bathtub gives me the most beaming smile and yells, "Good job, Mommy! You go pee pee in the potty like a big boy!!" Yes, I guess I did. So I kindly nod and tell him, "Why, thank you!"
There's a lot of that going around these days. And I must admit, I like the validation.
Yesterday they were 2 years & 7 months old.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
January First
Luke was sitting on my lap, looking at his book and identifying pictures. He points to one and confidently says, "Penis."
...Blink, blink...
"What?"
"Penis."
"Um, Lukey, that's not a penis. That's a bear."
"No, it's a penis." 100% confident.
What could I do but burst into laughter? And of course, it all went to hell after that. Joseph jumps in with the same game but this time it's "poo poo". And soon the whole business digresses into delighted cackles.
Yep. Boys.
...Blink, blink...
"What?"
"Penis."
"Um, Lukey, that's not a penis. That's a bear."
"No, it's a penis." 100% confident.
What could I do but burst into laughter? And of course, it all went to hell after that. Joseph jumps in with the same game but this time it's "poo poo". And soon the whole business digresses into delighted cackles.
Yep. Boys.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Neat-O
This has nothing to do with anything, but my uncle just sent me a video by Corning called A Day Made of Glass. I thought it was cool.
Watch it here.
Watch it here.
Monday, June 20, 2011
10 on Tuesday
1. Sunday at the Symphony in the Park, Luke saw a bottle of wine that Erin had brought. He pointed it out to her and adamantly declared, "Mommy drink! Mommy drink!" Ha!
2. After two years of living in denial, I finally cleared out my closet of all the many beautiful shoes that my fat, post-pregnancy feet will no longer fit. ::sob:: These I will miss the most.
3. Joseph has a tendency to add an extra syllable to some words, particularly 'uh' and particularly at the end of words. For instance, when he hears a loud bang he immediately points in it's direction and says, "Bonk-uh head!" I think it's because he's a little on the clutsy side and every time he falls or trips he thinks he bonks his head. But it's not always at the end. When he says "buh-loo", it always takes me a second to realize he's saying "blue" and not "balloon". It's adorable.
4. The speed at which they learn is always amazing to me. Joseph now knows the entire alphabet and will orient the little foam letters in the proper way for each. Luke knows most of it - it's really hard to tell exactly how much because he's not as forthcoming about it as Joseph is. They count to ten, but Joseph skips the number 5, and Luke skips 3. What really surprised me was the other day. They climb down the stairs backward and tend to count each step as they go. I was expecting them to stop or start over at 10. Instead they went on counting! 'leven, twell, tirteen... They skipped around in the order and half-mumbled some of them, but surprise! They know some double digits. They're getting better at their colors. Oddly enough, they're really good at identifying pink.
5. I stumbled across this old video yesterday, and OMG...
7. I think I've mentioned before that they call each other and themselves DeeDee. The other day we were at our friend Erin's house. Erin was trying to figure out if her son knew which boy was Luke and which was Joseph so she pointed to Luke and asked her son, "Who's that, Connor? Who's that?" Luke looked at her sincerely, pointed to himself and said, "DeeDee. DeeDee." And when they call out to each other, it's usually with a long, drawn out DeeeeDeeeeee. We love it.
Well, just yesterday it appears that Joseph has mastered the concept of formal nouns, specifically his & his brother's real names. He started pointing to Luke and very carefully & slowly enunciating each letter, "LLLUUUUKKKE" This morning he grabbed Luke's water cup, handed it to him and said, "LLUUKKE cup!" When I handed him his own and asked whose it was he said, "Joz[somethingIcouldn'tunderstand]" His name is going to be hard since they haven't quite mastered the 's' or 'f' sounds. Greg and I are actually pretty sad to see DeeDee start to go so we're using it a bit more in an effort to keep it alive.
8. Speaking of the 's' sound, Joseph & Luke are working hard on it. Their tongues get in the way, giving them cute lisps. Love it!
9. The day Greg has been looking forward to since before the boys were even born has come. They now help us CLEAN! Every night before heading upstairs, they help us collect their toys and put them away. They're also a bit obsessed with the vacuum cleaner and dust buster. Fits right into Greg's master plan of having a small army of little helpers under our roof.
10. And now here's a super-long video from tonight for the grandmas (because I suspect it's too boring for most other people). You can see how they sing with Greg, know their sign language, practice their colors (green-uh!) and the letter 's'. Yippee!
The boys are 2 years (+ 2.5 weeks) old.
2. After two years of living in denial, I finally cleared out my closet of all the many beautiful shoes that my fat, post-pregnancy feet will no longer fit. ::sob:: These I will miss the most.
3. Joseph has a tendency to add an extra syllable to some words, particularly 'uh' and particularly at the end of words. For instance, when he hears a loud bang he immediately points in it's direction and says, "Bonk-uh head!" I think it's because he's a little on the clutsy side and every time he falls or trips he thinks he bonks his head. But it's not always at the end. When he says "buh-loo", it always takes me a second to realize he's saying "blue" and not "balloon". It's adorable.
4. The speed at which they learn is always amazing to me. Joseph now knows the entire alphabet and will orient the little foam letters in the proper way for each. Luke knows most of it - it's really hard to tell exactly how much because he's not as forthcoming about it as Joseph is. They count to ten, but Joseph skips the number 5, and Luke skips 3. What really surprised me was the other day. They climb down the stairs backward and tend to count each step as they go. I was expecting them to stop or start over at 10. Instead they went on counting! 'leven, twell, tirteen... They skipped around in the order and half-mumbled some of them, but surprise! They know some double digits. They're getting better at their colors. Oddly enough, they're really good at identifying pink.
5. I stumbled across this old video yesterday, and OMG...
- It's proof that little Luke wasn't always terrified of the happy birthday tune.
- He's actually in tune. And
- LOOK HOW TINY THEY WERE! Ah, kills me! So sweet at almost 3 months old that it pings the old ovaries.
7. I think I've mentioned before that they call each other and themselves DeeDee. The other day we were at our friend Erin's house. Erin was trying to figure out if her son knew which boy was Luke and which was Joseph so she pointed to Luke and asked her son, "Who's that, Connor? Who's that?" Luke looked at her sincerely, pointed to himself and said, "DeeDee. DeeDee." And when they call out to each other, it's usually with a long, drawn out DeeeeDeeeeee. We love it.
Well, just yesterday it appears that Joseph has mastered the concept of formal nouns, specifically his & his brother's real names. He started pointing to Luke and very carefully & slowly enunciating each letter, "LLLUUUUKKKE" This morning he grabbed Luke's water cup, handed it to him and said, "LLUUKKE cup!" When I handed him his own and asked whose it was he said, "Joz[somethingIcouldn'tunderstand]" His name is going to be hard since they haven't quite mastered the 's' or 'f' sounds. Greg and I are actually pretty sad to see DeeDee start to go so we're using it a bit more in an effort to keep it alive.
8. Speaking of the 's' sound, Joseph & Luke are working hard on it. Their tongues get in the way, giving them cute lisps. Love it!
9. The day Greg has been looking forward to since before the boys were even born has come. They now help us CLEAN! Every night before heading upstairs, they help us collect their toys and put them away. They're also a bit obsessed with the vacuum cleaner and dust buster. Fits right into Greg's master plan of having a small army of little helpers under our roof.
10. And now here's a super-long video from tonight for the grandmas (because I suspect it's too boring for most other people). You can see how they sing with Greg, know their sign language, practice their colors (green-uh!) and the letter 's'. Yippee!
The boys are 2 years (+ 2.5 weeks) old.
Symphony Concert in the Park
Last summer we decided to brave keeping the boys up past their bedtimes for the first time ever. We were nervous. In the months after starting to sleep through the night, their routine was very precious to us. Now that we'd had a taste of sleeping normally again, we were reluctant to try anything that might screw that up. But with some prompting from friends, we risked it. We took the boys to their first ever concert in the park held by the Austin Symphony Orchestra just south of downtown.
And they loved it.
That same summer series kicked off again a few weeks ago. Last night the woodwinds played, and we were there to enjoy it.
Joseph immediately ran up to the stage with his buddies Connor, Dorian & Roman.
Hi, Mom!
Luke hung back with Ethan and got a few snuggles from Nina while he took in the scene at his own pace.
Joseph's best dance move, jumping.
My attempt at getting a cute shot of Luke with the Austin skyline. Ha! Grapes took priority.
I love this man. Happy Father's Day, Greg.
Hugfest on the dance floor. Joseph cozied up to the little blond girl in the pink dress, this kid and his father.
Luke did a little dancing, but he was much more interested in running up and down the hill that makes up the concert park. And tossing balls with Daddy.
Joseph thinks there needs to be less ball-throwing...
...and more dancing!
It worked. Briefly.
The floor has lighted tiles. Joseph was enthralled.
Charlie thought it was pretty cool too.
A bunch of the kids felt like the middle of the dance floor was a good place to lie down and take a leisurely break. I stood by the side, resisting my helicopter parenting urges, just hoping that no one would fall on him. Amazingly, I didn't see one kiddo get clobbered or cry the entire night.
Ah, the symphony. Where the mosh pit is so much more considerate.
This was as good a time as any to take a quick pretzel break for Joseph and a sitting break for Mommy. The temperature wasn't bad once the sun set, but look at poor Joseph's flushed cheeks! He was partying hard out there and loving every minute of it.
And then right back into the action!
It was a great Father's Day weekend, action-packed and full of fun. As challenging and exhausting as daddy-hood can be sometimes, days like this really make you appreciate the awesomeness that is parenthood. Hope you had a great one too!
The boys are 2 and 2 weeks.
And they loved it.
That same summer series kicked off again a few weeks ago. Last night the woodwinds played, and we were there to enjoy it.
Joseph immediately ran up to the stage with his buddies Connor, Dorian & Roman.
Hi, Mom!
Luke hung back with Ethan and got a few snuggles from Nina while he took in the scene at his own pace.
Joseph's best dance move, jumping.
My attempt at getting a cute shot of Luke with the Austin skyline. Ha! Grapes took priority.
Me, hanging out with my handsome, hungry men
I love this man. Happy Father's Day, Greg.
Hugfest on the dance floor. Joseph cozied up to the little blond girl in the pink dress, this kid and his father.
Luke did a little dancing, but he was much more interested in running up and down the hill that makes up the concert park. And tossing balls with Daddy.
Joseph thinks there needs to be less ball-throwing...
...and more dancing!
It worked. Briefly.The floor has lighted tiles. Joseph was enthralled.
Charlie thought it was pretty cool too.
A bunch of the kids felt like the middle of the dance floor was a good place to lie down and take a leisurely break. I stood by the side, resisting my helicopter parenting urges, just hoping that no one would fall on him. Amazingly, I didn't see one kiddo get clobbered or cry the entire night.
Ah, the symphony. Where the mosh pit is so much more considerate.
This was as good a time as any to take a quick pretzel break for Joseph and a sitting break for Mommy. The temperature wasn't bad once the sun set, but look at poor Joseph's flushed cheeks! He was partying hard out there and loving every minute of it.
And then right back into the action!
It was a great Father's Day weekend, action-packed and full of fun. As challenging and exhausting as daddy-hood can be sometimes, days like this really make you appreciate the awesomeness that is parenthood. Hope you had a great one too!
The boys are 2 and 2 weeks.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Daddy Dash 5K
Our gym organized a small (tiny) 5K in honor of Father's Day this weekend. Strollers were encouraged. Doubles got a 2-minute advantage and singles got one.
As Greg was the only one pushing a double, he had to set out on his own two minutes before 9 with no one else to spur him on. In the heat, against the wind and pushing 65 lbs of boy. I was glad to be playing photographer instead of running in this one.
But Greg did great! There was one woman - all bone and muscle - who passed him. Other than that, the path was clear.
A speedy blur about the cross the finish line
We had practiced yelling, "Come on, Daddy! Come on!" in preparation. We'll have to coach them with more chants for the next race. It can't hurt, right.
My guys
Great way to start the weekend!
The boys are 2 (+2 weeks).
As Greg was the only one pushing a double, he had to set out on his own two minutes before 9 with no one else to spur him on. In the heat, against the wind and pushing 65 lbs of boy. I was glad to be playing photographer instead of running in this one.
But Greg did great! There was one woman - all bone and muscle - who passed him. Other than that, the path was clear.
A speedy blur about the cross the finish line
We had practiced yelling, "Come on, Daddy! Come on!" in preparation. We'll have to coach them with more chants for the next race. It can't hurt, right.
My guys
Great way to start the weekend!
The boys are 2 (+2 weeks).
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Yep, They're Brothers
Joseph has started showing signs of wanting to potty train. First he would tell us when he was wet and would refuse to sit until we changed his diaper. Then he started using his little potty after we'd strip him down for baths. The other day he ran into the bathroom, fully clothed, yelling "pee pee! pee pee!," and he did. So we're rolling with it. It's a no pressure situation since I think they're still very young, especially for boys. Luke hasn't really shown any interest except for occasionally sitting on the potty and smiling up at us.
So...
This morning we were about to put the boys in their seats for breakfast, when Joseph started pointing at his diaper and saying, "Wet! Wet!" I asked if he wanted his diaper changed. Yeah! I love his enthusiastic, quick yeahs. He grabbed my hand as we headed over to the changing mat.
So how far will one boy go to spite his brother?
Luke, whose favorite hobby often is twisting and writhing and giggling his way out of diaper changes, runs past us, climbs up onto the couch, and lies himself down across the changing mat before his brother can reach it. He was that desperate to one-up Joseph that he eagerly volunteered for one of the easiest diaper changes I've had since they hit toddlerhood.
Stinker. :)
They're definitely 2 and definitely brothers.
So...
This morning we were about to put the boys in their seats for breakfast, when Joseph started pointing at his diaper and saying, "Wet! Wet!" I asked if he wanted his diaper changed. Yeah! I love his enthusiastic, quick yeahs. He grabbed my hand as we headed over to the changing mat.
So how far will one boy go to spite his brother?
Luke, whose favorite hobby often is twisting and writhing and giggling his way out of diaper changes, runs past us, climbs up onto the couch, and lies himself down across the changing mat before his brother can reach it. He was that desperate to one-up Joseph that he eagerly volunteered for one of the easiest diaper changes I've had since they hit toddlerhood.
Stinker. :)
They're definitely 2 and definitely brothers.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Our Day in Photos
Yesterday I finally read a few short articles on tips for how to use my fancy dSLR camera. I've had it over 2 years and have always relied on the auto settings, not once consulting a manual or even attempting to understand what all those buttons and symbols mean. Then for Christmas, Greg got me a 50 mm 1:1.8 lens that I've been dying to use. However, there's no autofocus with my camera body and getting non-blurry shots is no trivial matter. Out of 20, I'd maybe get one decent photo.
Well, I'm still not getting that many decent photos, but yesterday I tried using a "semi-automatic" mode, the shutter priority mode. It was tricky, but focus seems to be a little easier and I got a few shots that were a little better.
Here's the article I primarily used. And here are some of the products. (They come out a little grainy in blogger. Boo! But they're still cute.)
Greg set up a train track upstairs so it's now the first and last thing they do every day.
Hair envy
Wrestling with Daddy
I know I've said this a time or two before, but I am so very in love with these boys.
Joseph & Luke are 2 years old.
Well, I'm still not getting that many decent photos, but yesterday I tried using a "semi-automatic" mode, the shutter priority mode. It was tricky, but focus seems to be a little easier and I got a few shots that were a little better.
Here's the article I primarily used. And here are some of the products. (They come out a little grainy in blogger. Boo! But they're still cute.)
Greg set up a train track upstairs so it's now the first and last thing they do every day.
Hair envy
Wrestling with Daddy
I know I've said this a time or two before, but I am so very in love with these boys.
Joseph & Luke are 2 years old.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Joseph & Luke's 2nd Birthday Party
This party was brought to you by the letters J & L and the number 2!
Cupprimo cupcakes. Mmmmm.
The boys woke up from their naps, thrilled to see the Elmo balloons waiting for them. Lots of screams - "Eeeeeeellllllmooooooo!" - with frantic pointing to make sure we were all seeing the same thing. Yeeessss, Elmo!
But being my children, what really excited them was the food.
Luke in a state of stunned euphoria
As Greg likes to say, these boys could eat for the U.S.A. If it ever becomes an Olympic sport, we're bound to medal. They ate their weights in tomatoes and fruit and relished every second of it.
Quality assurance team
Around 3 in the afternoon, our guests began to arrive...
...and rip the house apart. :)
Now would be a good time for the (non-pregnant) moms to grab a beer, sit back and bear witness to the destruction. There's really nothing else to be done when a dozen 2-year-olds are set loose in a house full of Other People's Toys.
I tried and failed to get a shot with my big boys, but they were a bit distracted.
Mimi & MAC! came to help us celebrate - and Mimi to cook and clean and prep and generally manage the chaos. Thanks, Mimi!
Since last year's EPIC birthday song meltdown, Luke has been scarred. When he hears the song, he screams, comes running, and clings to me like his life depends on it. Poor kiddo. Joseph is usually fine unless he sees his brother panic and thinks there's something to panic about. We've been working on it, singing it to him loud and often. When we're at other parties, I always make sure he's in my arms before the song begins and that we have a quick exit strategy just in case.
So here, the moment of truth...
Not bad, I'd say. As soon as Mommy stopped singing, he was a-okay. I'm trying not to take it personally.
Joseph watching calmly as his brother pitches a surprisingly manageable fit
Perhaps it was all a ploy to get the cupcake that much faster.
The boys' first cupcakes
They approve.
And so did everyone else
Convincing Mimi to share her fruit - she did
After most people left, the hardcore partiers started a mosh pit. It was positively encouraged.
Joseph and Luke had such a fun time. We were sorry to see everyone go, but it did take it's toll.
Pooped
New perspective and higher trouble-making potential
MMmmm, tomatoes
Practicing his alphabet
Big boys use big boy spoons
Composing original tunes with MAC!
Cupprimo cupcakes. Mmmmm.
The boys woke up from their naps, thrilled to see the Elmo balloons waiting for them. Lots of screams - "Eeeeeeellllllmooooooo!" - with frantic pointing to make sure we were all seeing the same thing. Yeeessss, Elmo!
But being my children, what really excited them was the food.
Luke in a state of stunned euphoria
Quality assurance team
...and rip the house apart. :)
Now would be a good time for the (non-pregnant) moms to grab a beer, sit back and bear witness to the destruction. There's really nothing else to be done when a dozen 2-year-olds are set loose in a house full of Other People's Toys.
I tried and failed to get a shot with my big boys, but they were a bit distracted.
Mimi & MAC! came to help us celebrate - and Mimi to cook and clean and prep and generally manage the chaos. Thanks, Mimi!
Since last year's EPIC birthday song meltdown, Luke has been scarred. When he hears the song, he screams, comes running, and clings to me like his life depends on it. Poor kiddo. Joseph is usually fine unless he sees his brother panic and thinks there's something to panic about. We've been working on it, singing it to him loud and often. When we're at other parties, I always make sure he's in my arms before the song begins and that we have a quick exit strategy just in case.
So here, the moment of truth...
Not bad, I'd say. As soon as Mommy stopped singing, he was a-okay. I'm trying not to take it personally.
Joseph watching calmly as his brother pitches a surprisingly manageable fit
Perhaps it was all a ploy to get the cupcake that much faster.
The boys' first cupcakes
They approve.
And so did everyone else
Convincing Mimi to share her fruit - she didAfter most people left, the hardcore partiers started a mosh pit. It was positively encouraged.
Joseph and Luke had such a fun time. We were sorry to see everyone go, but it did take it's toll.
PoopedAfter a night of sound sleep, it was time to bust into the presents. A group of friends went in together to get the boys a Learning Tower...
New perspective and higher trouble-making potential...providing life-saving sustenance to my starving boys.
MMmmm, tomatoes
Practicing his alphabet
Big boys use big boy spoons
Composing original tunes with MAC!The boys had a GREAT time at their party and so did we. Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate!
My babies are TWO!
My babies are TWO!
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