Friday, January 31, 2014

Post-bath ritual

Every night after bath time, they both run out into the living room and huddle under their towels. I used to do this after swimming in the pool. I remember the warmth... we'd call it out "jacuzzi". Just imagine the giggling that ensues with them beside each other. 

Thursday, January 30, 2014

The week that dragged on forever...

Last night as I got in bed, I could not believe it was only Wednesday! Every day has seemed like a week in itself. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the weekend and having Pete around more to share in the joy of parenthood:)

Here's a little update on each kiddo:

Austin weighs 22 pounds, a weight he's maintained for almost a year. This kid does not grow (especially his little legs). I can't believe he'll be 2 in March! I say this not because he doesn't seem older, but simply because the time has flown by. Ithis so fun as he is learning new words everyday and communicating his opinions. Now the trouble is dealing with him when he doesn't get what he wants. He's a stubborn guy. If Parker asks for "Daddy's Cereal" (Honey bunches of oats), Austin needs it to. One day I ran out of the cereal after Parker's bowl and so I gave Austin cheerios. When Austin saw I had tried to give him something different, he pushed the bowl away and crossed his arms. It's not unusual to see this stance several times a day, usually followed by him saying, "Mad!" In order to try and curb his stubbornness, I try not to give in as often as possible. So I told him that was the only cereal I had and he could eat it or have none. He sat there a few more minutes in a huff, but eventually pulled the bowl back over to him and started eating. If he and Parker are eating together but Parker finishes first and wants more, Austin will not take another bite until you add more to his plate.

He wants to be just like his brother. It's really the sweetest thing. The boys love playing together, thankfully. They play trains, planes, cars, paint outside, build with blocks, and of course watch Mickey Mouse together. Oh and singing, these kids sing ALL day long. They make up their own songs and perform for us. Austin also loves singing "Popcorn", "Twinkle Twinkle," and "Happy Birthday."

Austin has a lot of words now. Some of my favorites include: "Mama, where are you?", "Come here!", "Shhhh.... Parker sleeping", "More please", "Daddy and apple please" (translation... Peanut butter with apple please... he thinks jelly is called daddy and he thinks peanut butter is called jelly... follow?), and "Bye Daddy... hug and kiss!"

He is still a cuddler. He currently sleeps in a pack n play in Parker's room during the night, while Parker sleeps on the couch. Parker feels very strongly about being woken up during the night. Don't blame him. Austin still wakes up usually once a night and requires a bottle to calm down.

He is so delightful, charming, and uses his cute little voice and blue eyes to get whatever he wants.

Parker: Parker has really progressed in the last few months, except for some reason he's had a tough week. He is still on the very active side, and has some pretty impressive soccer skills. He is proud of his left foot kicking and loves to play with Daddy. He is a very imaginative child. He loves to pretend (Pete has taught him some very elaborate fighter pilot dialogue) and loves to include Austin in his games. He is a fast bike rider at school. Tuesdays are his favorite day. He never ceases to amaze us with his extensive vocabulary, often noting that something is "hilarious" or "appropriate." He catches on to things very quickly.

He loves preschool. Grammy is an awesome teacher and he really looks forward to going on T/Th. He loves everything there. Bikes, sand,  art, dramatic play, singing.... He's a real leader in the class and well liked. But as a leader, he can also lead the children in getting silly and off track. We're working on what it means to be a good example. Since the start of the new year, I've been asking him a question at the end of each school day, "What did you do that was kind for someone else?" He looks forward to this question and reminds me in case I forget to ask. He is very sensitive to others, and desires to be a good friend. We are also listening to stories on tape called "Alexander's Amazing Adventures." These stories focus on a certain value. He LOVES these stories. It seems like he is not listening in the backseat of the car, but then he'll ask a question or repeat a funny phrase. I love that we are in a phase now where I can teach some things deliberately. I am certainly not as good at behavior mgt, but when it comes to teaching about the gospel or values or role playing about friend relationships, it is so exciting to see what he absorbs. Last week at church, the kids were broken into groups and asked to illustrate and present what kind of example Christ gives us and what we can learn from Him. I was pleased to see him very involved in the discussion and then when his group was asked to present, HE was the one that got up on his chair and talked about how Jesus taught us to be kind. Wow. Can't believe he'll be four next month.

We definitely still have our challenges with him: He's very physical and can get aggressive quickly (usually just with me), he is very fast moving and doesn't always take others into consideration when he is zooming past them, and he loves to talk back and negotiate with me. But I see glimmers of hope when he tells me he loves me and I'm the most beautiful mama, and when he calls his brother his best friend.

He does this thing where his behavior and body start spinning out of control and it's almost impossible to get him to stop or to hear you. It's very frustrating. He was telling my mom that when that happens he feels like something is spinning in his brain and it is shooting off ideas (I forget how he said it). And everyone has a brain that can make them make good choices or naughty choices. God told him that he should use he brain for good choices. So basically my kid is a genius and understands neuro-pathways and synapses.

We try to stay very active during the week, as 1000 sq ft is not a lot of space to release all their energy.

We went to the trampoline park.
 Aussie went for the first time. He was hesitant in the beginning but quickly warmed up to the idea.

 This guy...

Friday, January 24, 2014

My birthday... surprise!

Oh my goodness. My birthday was amazing this year. I'm not usually one to play up my birthday or draw much attention, but Pete planned an amazing party for my 30th! I know I already wrote about it, but here are some more pics courtesy of my SIL, Denise.

Entering the room... shocked by the very large group of people! I clearly was not expecting that.



 Pete serenading me with, "Hero" in English and Spanish... can't count how many times I have heard him sing this song. Love it.
 A tribute to the Biebs, including Mason rapping amazingly!
 I got most of the girls in the room to sing... can't remember the song.
 And the guys singing "Hey Jude."
 Pete and I singing "our song" from high school "All or Nothing."
 Michelle Tyler... fully committed.
 The kids had a great time too. Here are my nieces.
It was definitely a party to remember. Hard to top that one. Thanks again Pete. Love you!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Preschool

Most mornings when we drop Parker off at preschool, it's hard to get Austin to leave. He is desperate to  stay and participate in whatever they have going on. Case and point...


Always wanting to be just like his brother.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Reading buddies

Parker plays such a huge role in taking care of Austin and entertaining him. It is such a blessing that they get along so well. Austin loves his brother so much. Parker slammed is fingers in the car door the other day and was very upset. Immediately, Austin came over to him and hugged him and asked if he was okay. I know that he did this because his brother has done this for him before. Parker and I talk a lot about being a good example for Austin, and he is very responsive to that prompting. 

Here they are reading on the couch. 




Friday, January 17, 2014

Winter Community event

We went to an event at the community center last week. My brother's girlfriend works there and slaved away to put this thing on. It was a hit. The boys loved it and there was a HUGE turnout. 

Roasting marshmallows for s'mores with Ryan. 
 Building a toolbox with Ryan. I don't know what I would have done without his help.
 My coloring prodigy!
 And the best part, Chloe was the moose that walked around taking pics with the kids. Austin LOVES mascots... Parker does not. I'm still not sure if they fully understood it was Chloe in there.
 Austin didn't want the moose out of his sight. "Where moose go?"
 Ryan and his beautiful girlfriend.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Happy Birthdays

My mom's birthday was last week. She's a pretty young looking Grammy, if I do say so myself. We went to Islands to celebrate. The boys wanted to look dapper for Grammy.

The boys have a tradition of making happy birthday videos for family and friends. This one was a little more competitive than usual. :)




Then on the 14th we celebrate my birthday, my dad's birthday, and Chloe's birthday. So fun sharing my birthday with such awesome people. It's always a treat to stretch out my birthday celebration.... Sunday night was dinner with the Lieber fam, Monday night was dinner with the Dahlquist fam (thanks to Denise for making us dinner), and then on my actual birthday, Pete took me out for a surprise... and what a surprise it was.

Here's the fam at Sammy's.
My grown up little boy. Oh how I love this child.
Chloe... the other birthday girl. 
 They've had a lot of practice at singing "Happy Birthday" lately.

 A friend worked at the restaurant, and gave the boys dough balls to play with. They loved it.
 Chloe, me and Dad. Happy birthday to us.
 On my birthday day, Parker was at preschool, so Aussie and I dropped some treats off at Papa's work and then went shopping. It was delightful. Then we picked him up and went to get lunch. They were so grateful for that hamburger:)

 I'm happy to be 30. I feel like this will be a great year and new decade. I'm going to embrace everything that comes along with the journey, including wrinkles, that I'm just going to say are recently developed dimples:)
 That night, my mom came to pick up the boys so I could go out for a surprise with Pete. So we headed out and halfway there, he told me to put on a blindfold. Then he walked me into a random place, and when I removed the blindfold I saw a room FULL of my best friends and family. Even my parents and boys were there. I was shocked. A while back I had mentioned I thought it'd be fun to do karaoke with other couples, and Pete mental noted that. He rented out a karaoke room at a random Korean karaoke bar for my birthday! It made me feel so special that he went to such extra effort to plan this thoughtful night. Everyone had a great time, especially the kids. It was hilarious.
 The girls all singing.
 Austin thought he was always a part of the acts. He loved dancing and singing along.
 Pete and I sang a few songs together, including O-Town, "All or Nothing", which was "our song" in high school, before we were even dating.
 "I will always love you"... a tribute to Ms. Houston, performed by Sara (Pete's planning partner) and me.

It was a night to remember. 
Happy 30th birthday to me:)

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Freeze him

I love every stage my boys go through. They each have their blessings and challenges. But if I were to selfish, I'd freeze my kids at 20 months. It's the perfect age or personality, talking, and humor. 

They do things like demand to wear an In N Out hat to bed. 
 And still have the hat on when they wake up and demand a show on the Ipad.
 We love doing music class together. It's such a special time of bonding for us, while Parker is at school. He's pretty reserved in the class but as soon as we get in the car and listen to the cd from class, he's rocking out and singing. His favorites to sing are "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Old McDonald."

Monday, January 13, 2014

Cutie pies

Austin and Parker are on an apple with peanut butter kick. They go through five apples a day on average. I'm happy it's a healthy snack, but somehow, Austin makes it the messiest snack ever! Ear to ear peanut butter. But who can resist that happy face. 
 We had to unexpectedly get new tires last week. The boys were patient and did their best to endure the waiting. Panera treats helped things along.
 The boys and Grammy.
 My little scientist. We love this children's museum. It is a small but highly focused on dramatic play and exploration. It's perfect my boys' ages.
As much as I have loved the holidays, it's nice to get the house back in order, have a schedule again, and just have a few less things on the calendar. I also got caught up on printing my blog books. Hoorary. The only problem now is that they are getting so thick it has become quite a pricey book. Oh well, I guess it all evens out considering I'm not printing as many pics or buying other albums.  I love my family, and I'm thankful for all the memories we capture.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

New year's day beach day

How lucky are we? Beach day on January 1st... amazing. We headed to Coronado and it was picture perfect. The guys loved building sand castles. 



We have loved having Pete home more during the holidays. What a treat.