Papa's "super" hat

I couldn't believe how early the snow melted this year. The first week it really started getting warm, the boys were anxious to get outside. Luke got their bikes out, and they spent a fair amount of time riding around in the driveway. Because there was still snow on the ground, I wanted Alex to wear a hat when he went out ... this day he came back with "Papa's super hat." It's a little big, but it looks good on him, don't you think?


Of course, he couldn't really see where he was going ... but he sure loved wearing it!


Big brother Ethan didn't think he needed a hat ... but he loved having his bike out again!

Haircuts

My mom recently gave all three boys haircuts. I didn't get any photos of Benny actually getting his cut, but here he is "ooohing" while watching one of the other boys.


Ethan hates the hair on his face!


Alex, sitting still like a big boy:

A month of sickies

March hasn't been the greatest month for us here. We've had someone throwing up every week, and I've done more pukey laundry than I care to think about. Right now Ethan is sacked out on the couch, getting a little rest that will hopefully help him kick this bug quickly. I'm forgoing my nap today to sit in here by him, and I thought I'd use the time to write up some blog posts. We have lots of pictures - Luke and I have been enjoying our new camera! - and all that's been lacking is the time and energy to actually post something.

I guess something good will come of yet another bout with the stomach flu!

A Treat

Luke brought home doughnuts for a treat this last Friday ... Alex enjoyed his greatly! He even ate some scrambled eggs so that he could have the second half of his. Can you guess what flavor frosting he had?

Sassypants

When one of the boys tries to help me discipline one of their brothers, I usually tell them something like, "No, I'm the mama. You don't need to tell him 'no'.". You need to know that to see the humor in this post.

We were having eggs and muffins for supper tonight (we like breakfast for supper!) and Alex was trying to brush some sugar from the muffin topping off his fingers. He explained what he was doing (because he talks constantly these days) and Ethan suggested that if he couldn't brush it all off he should lick it off.

Without a moment's hesitation, Alex turned to him, shook his little finger in Ethan's face, and said, "Hey, E, you de mama? No, you Ethan!"

I tried to keep a straight face while I told him to speak kindly to his brother because Ethan was trying to help him. Luke laughed so hard he cried. Even Ethan thought it was funny - I think it was the big attitude coming from this little person. Alex loved that we all thought he was funny, but I don't think he quite understood why we were laughing. That's probably a good thing.

Dirty Teeth

Benny has been cranky this morning, thanks to teething. I picked him up and said, "Come on Benny. Let's get you some medicine for those teeth that are hurting you." Alex followed along, and decided he wanted some medicine as well.

"Mama, my teeth hurt too. Me need medicine."

I explained that Benny's teeth hurt because he had new ones coming in, but Alex already had all he'd have for a while. He thought for a moment, then said, "My teeth are dirty. They need some medicine 'cause they're dirty."

Nice try, buddy.

Ethan, the walking dictionary

According to Ethan:

"Children: noun. Little dinks running around the house driving their mom crazy."

I wouldn't call them dinks, but the rest of it? Yeah, some days!

Playing Outside

Luke surprised me with a new camera this week, and I've been having a lot of fun playing with it! Since it's so nice and sunshiny out today, we all headed outside to play for a while this morning. Here are some pictures of the boys!

Luke pulling all three of them in the sled:

Yellow came and played, too!

It's hard work walking through the snow when you're short!

Ethan tried out the snow-block maker.

Benny got a solo sled ride, too.

sparks!

(This guest post is written by Ethan. Some of it he typed himself, and some of it he dictated to Mom.)

Sparks-a-rama was a great success for green (the color line I'm on). We beat another church (red) by one point! It was the last game - the balloon pop - that got us winning. With the balloon battle, I was pretty good and we didn't get one single point! It was a lot of fun, even though there were some games I didn't get to play.

The Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day

Without going into all the details, let me just say that yesterday was a hard day. The ones we all have where everything that can go wrong, does. The ones where our children are naughty, or get into trouble without trying, or both, all day long.

But in the midst of that kind of a day, there was a bright spot that I need to remember for the next time we have one of those days. (Because you know there will be a next time!)

I had taken the three boys grocery shopping. When we got home, I took Benny to lay him down for his nap right away because he'd fallen asleep in the car. I came back into the kitchen in time to hear this conversation between Ethan and Alex.

E: Here Alex, let me help you with your coat. There, I have it unzipped; can you take it off now?
A: Yes! Me big boy.
E: Oh, good job, Alex! Here, let me take it and hang it up. Now why don't I untie your shoes for you. There, can you take them off?
A: (grunting) Dere!
E: Very good, Alex! Go put them in the closet, okay?
A: Otay!

Ethan's cheerful, encouraging helpfulness was definitely a bright spot in my day!

Potty-training ... the saga continues

Okay, that title makes this sound a lot more dramatic than it really is! Alex has been doing really well. He wakes up from naps and in the morning dry more often than not. During the day he rarely has accidents, and when he does have an accident he usually catches himself and finishes on the toilet. He's very proud of himself and frequently tells me, "Me a big boy, Mama!" He loves to flush and watch the water go down, with many oohs and aahs. Apparently that's fascinating, because Benny likes to come watch, too.


We've promised him Thomas the Tank underwear, but Walmart didn't have any in his size when we got groceries. I'm thinking about checking Target tomorrow. Until then, he's okay with wearing his training underwear. I tried to talk him into getting some with characters from the movie "Cars", but he declined. His reasoning?

"Me love Thomas. Thomas is yummy."

According to Alex

It's been fun to listen to what is going on in Alex's mind as he's started talking more and more. Here are a few things that we've learned from him this week:

Mama's hair is spicy
Papa fell off a mountain
Grandma bought us our bathtub
Alex is his own papa
Alex is a very smart man
Benny is naughty
Ethan is a nice boy
His pillow gives him good dreams
The puggle (that's a baby platypus!) on his AWANA shirt had bad dreams last night

We're enjoying finally knowing what's going on inside his little head, but it's slightly disconcerting, as well!

Washing Dishes

Alex and Benny are helping wash dishes today:

I can't get a picture of Benny with his eyes open for some reason. I think it has to do with the way my flash works.

Alex was being silly. He didn't want to smile nicely, so he did a big goofy smile.

And his version of a frown:

Oh yeah ...

... I'm cute.

(A post a day for a whole week - just for you, Ginnie! :) I don't know what next week will bring, though ...)

Box Day

Cold winter days are just right for curling up and with a pillow and a blanket and reading a good book.

Preferably in a box.

I guess he's ready

So my theory on potty-training is that it's best to wait until the child is ready. I had seen some readiness signs in Alex, and we decided over our Christmas break to try switching to training underwear. I thought I would have more time to work with him and kind of "jumpstart" things when I wasn't trying to divide my attention between potty-training and school.

He wasn't ready. He didn't like the underwear, he wanted his diaper, he didn't want to be a big boy, and sitting on the potty wasn't something he was interested in doing. So our potty-training lasted (approximately) and hour and a half. No big deal - I figured we'd try again this summer.

Well, he's been going with Luke to watch Ethan at his swim lessons. And he wants lessons in the worst way. (Incidentally, he tells us that Aunt Ginnie is going to help him learn. Because she's nice.) Luke's been telling him that he has to be a big boy and wear underwear before he can have swim lessons. Not to pressure him, just matter-of-factly.

So the other day at breakfast, Alex asked to go potty. He sat down, read a couple books, did his business. He's been doing that every day since. Not every time he goes, but at least once a day. Saturday, he went potty, then went and found his big-boy underwear to put on.

I guess he's ready now.

(Edited to add, I wrote this on Saturday night. I started putting him in underwear Monday, and since then his interest has been waxing and waning. It all depends on his mood! For now, we're just letting him take the lead. But if he's not potty-trained next time you see him, that's why!)

The perfect place to play

Perhaps you remember our list of what I cleaned out from underneath the table one day. This time I took a picture.


Alex loves to load toys up in grocery bags and haul them around. This day he took them under the table and then pushed his box underneath it as well. Ethan was under there with him at one point, but he had moved on by the time I took the picture.

Avanlea Lynn

Avanlea Lynn joined our family on Tuesday, January 19th! Isn't she pretty?

Ethan is 8

Ethan turned eight yesterday! He's been counting down the days since ... oh, about Christmas. He got to open presents in the morning because that way he could play with them until we left to go to Grandma and Grandpa's in the afternoon. Being the forgetful mother that I am, I forgot to take any pictures of that. He got a game of strategy called Cathedral - which is really fun! - and this remote control Zoob set. He's been enjoying them both, and as soon as I charge my camera batteries I'll try to remember to get pictures of him playing.

(By the way, I know I never posted pictures of our Christmas gift opening. I don't have very good pictures, and I keep thinking I will take pictures of them playing with their favorites. I just keep forgetting.)

(So if you doubt that I'll take pictures of Ethan playing with his new things, you may be right.)

We took supper and went to Grandma and Grandpa's. Ethan wanted an angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream for his birthday cake. It was a lot easier than, say, a dinosaur cake or a digger cake, but it's a little sad to see him ask for such a grown up dessert. He opened presents at Grandma and Grandpa's, but I forgot to take pictures of that, too. I take some small comfort in the fact that Grandma forgot too.



Happy Birthday, Ethan! Dad and I are very proud of the young man you are becoming, and we love you very much.

Clothes ... who needs 'em?

I made the mistake of staying at the table for a few minutes after the boys were done with lunch yesterday. It wasn't long, but it was long enough for Alex to remove his clothes, hide them, and write on himself with marker.


Doesn't he look sorry?

Funny

Ethan was sitting at the table one day this week. Suddenly, he began chortling. Amused, I asked him what was so funny.

"Well," he said, "I was just thinking. You know what would be funny? If I looked up the word 'dictionary' in the dictionary."

Then he laughed some more. And I laughed with him, because I can understand why he thinks that would be funny.

A quirky sense of humor is a good thing, right?

New Year's Celebration

We began our New Year's celebration with tacos for dinner. Why tacos? Because it was easy. :) Ethan helped by shredding cheese, Alex helped by tearing lettuce, and the dog delayed supper by having a seizure. Good thing I had so many helpers, or it would have really been late before we ate! Then we did quick baths and jammies, and went downstairs to dance to old records.

And turn cartwheels, in Ethan's case.


The boys like using these ribbon rings, and just being generally silly.


We had noisemakers and poppers, and we shouted "Happy New Year's!" numerous times. It was only 8:00, but that's midnight somewhere, right?

Then we had "spicy juice" (homemade sparkling juice) and graham crackers, and the older two went "camping" in the livingroom. Then Mom ruined the fun at 9:00 by making Alex go sleep in his bed. But that was because he had the entire contents of the toy basket on his sleeping bag to play with.

Happy New Year's to all of you!

Chef Ethan

One of our traditional Christmas treats is peppermint bark - just peppermint candy crushed and mixed with melted white chocolate. There are a number of tasty variations, like this one Luke's sister Tammy posted, but we usually just do the basic one. It's simple enough that Ethan was able to make it almost entirely by himself. Then, he came up with a different version that was delicious!

Cinnamon Candy Bark

12 oz white chocolate
10 cinnamon discs - the hard candy

Chop white chocolate and melt it either in the microwave or in a double boiler. Crush the cinnamon candies. Place a strainer over the bowl of white chocolate and pour the candy into the strainer. Shake and tap it until all of the small candy pieces are filtered out, and only the larger ones remain in the strainer.

Stir the white chocolate and "candy dust" thoroughly. Spread it out to a 1/4" (or so) thickness on a piece of tin foil or waxed paper. Scatter the remaining larger candy pieces over the top, pressing them down lightly. You can refrigerate it to make it set up faster, or you can just leave it at room temperature. When it's firm, break it into bite-size pieces.

Luke, Ethan, and I all really liked this, but Alex thought it was too spicy. Everyone agrees that we should make it again next year. I think we'll probably add a little bit of cinnamon oil to the melted chocolate, though, to make it just a bit spicier.

Gathering Place

This is the place to be in the mornings, I guess.


There is a heat register right behind Ethan and Alex. Alex and Yellow are going to be wherever Ethan is, and Benny is never far behind! So how am I supposed to make breakfast? Good question!

Christmas Preparations

Even though I haven't been posting much about what we did in preparation for Christmas, we were busy with lots of activities. Some of them I even remembered to take pictures of! Although I'm a little late posting this, I wanted to share some of the ways we "anticipated" Christmas this year. The boys were entranced with the way Papa decorated the window in the door between the mudroom and the rest of the house:


We made salt-dough ornaments for the tree, some free-form and some cut out with cookie cutters:


Ethan really enjoyed coloring his gingerbread boys and girls with markers. I was a little surprised, since he's never liked coloring. I guess we just never tried the right medium before! Oh, and the two on the lower left side are Alex's.


They've helped with baking and candy-making, and really liked the popcorn balls!


One of the other things we tried this year was a book countdown. I gathered up all of our Christmas books and got enough more from the library so we had one for each day between the 1st and the 24th. Then I wrapped them and they took turns choosing and opening a book for their bedtime story each night. They really enjoyed that!

Benny's Party

I thought before I posted our Christmas pictures, I should get up the ones of Benny's party! We started the evening with dinner, but we didn't take any pictures of that. So we'll start with the presents! Ethan helped Benny open the first one ... it was a gift that Ethan had made himself.


It's a little stuffed bird, perfect for chewing, it seems.


Presents from Mama and Papa followed that, and then gifts from Grandma and Grandpa.


Alex was more interested in the presents than Benny was, but they're doing a good job of sharing. Usually.


We topped the evening off with cake, of course ...


Benny liked it.


Especially the frosting.


It made him happy. And it made us happy to watch him enjoy it!


We love you, Benny!

Brotherly Concern ... and Confusion

Yesterday we took Benny to the doctor for his one-year checkup. For some unknown reason, I made the appointment for 10:15, so we all went. As we were getting ready to go, Alex asked if he was going to see the doctor. I explained that the doctor was just going to check Benny to see if he was growing well, and then he'd have to have a couple of shots.

He got a confused, concerned look on his face. "Bad guys? Shoot Benny?"

So now we call them "pokes".

Benny is One!

Benny turned one last Thursday! He spent his day in typical one-year-old style:



Climbing up on the table and eating a handful or two of flour...


Taking a little snooze on Papa's shoulder ...


And playing in the bathtub! We had a little party for him Friday night, so more birthday pictures are coming!

Treasures under the our table

For some reason, we end up with toys and other objects under our table all the time. I decided to write down everything that I cleaned out from underneath it for one day.

a rifle (all guns listed are toys!)
another rifle
a pistol
a stuffed Noah
Highlights magazine
play-doh scissors
Benny's favorite blankie
Alex's quilt
the Highlights magazine again
plastic spoon (from the play-doh)
a book on tape
the Buyer's Guide
a change purse
an O-ball
Benny's blankie again
a nasal aspirator
another rifle
a monkey-shaped bookmark
a beater

That's One. Day.

And they didn't even camp out under the table, the way they do sometimes.

Papa's Pokies

We've really been enjoying listening to Alex as he's started talking more and more. He calls Luke's beard "pokies". This is the conversation they had about it (the beard) this last week.

Luke: Do you like my beard? (as Alex was patting his face)
Alex: Yes!
Luke: Do you think I should cut it off?
Alex, with a very concerned look on his face: No! Ouchie!
Luke: You think it would hurt if I cut it off?
Alex: Yes! Papa ouchie. Papa cry. (He then started to mimic crying, just in case we didn't understand his point.)

Once Luke got done laughing, he tried to tell Alex that it wouldn't hurt, any more than getting a haircut hurt. I don't think Alex was convinced, though.

Feeding Baby

I'm not sure, but I think that maybe Alex thinks I'm not feeding Benny enough. Here he is, supplementing Benny's bedtime snack.


Mmmm, plastic bread. Tasty.


"Aren't I a helpful big brother?"


And I'm pretty sure that he thinks he's awfully cute. And y'know, I think he's right.

Thoughts on Sisters

The other day Alex was, apparently, bothering Ethan. He came to me and said, "Mom, I really wish I had a sister." I asked him why he wished that.

"Well," he said, "sisters are just quiet, and sensible ..."

I couldn't help it. I laughed right out loud. Then I told him I agreed completely, but he'd have to ask Dad if he thought that was true.

Let's just say that Dad had a slightly different opinion. :)

Rocking

Shades drawn, dim room;
Quiet music, gentle strains;
Flannel blanket, soft and warm;
Tiny, gasping, baby breaths;
Snuggly boy, cuddled close;
Soft hair against my cheek;
Rocking rhythm, slow and steady.
Treasured moments.

Having a two-year-old in the house ...

...makes life interesting!

Just to give you a glimpse of what life with our two-year-old is like, I thought I'd share a few exploits from the last twenty-four hours.

Last night, Luke went in to tell the boys to turn their lamp off, put their books away, and go to sleep. He found Ethan sound asleep. Alex, on the other hand, was not. He had emptied out the basket that holds his picture books, taken his pillow, three blankets, and numerous stuffed animals off the bed put them into the basket, and then climbed in on top of it all. He was laying there quietly, his arms, legs, and head hanging out of this basket that's maybe 12" square. He apparently planned on sleeping there.

Luke had to go into our room and laugh before he could go back and make Alex get into his own bed

Today I was laying him down for his nap, and he had picked out a book with a verse of Old MacDonald for his story. I sang him the little book (it was the verse about Old MacDonald has a cow), and when I finished he wanted to sing it to me. He started at the beginning and sang, "E-I-O-E-E-I-O" as he turned the pages. Except for the cow page; there he sang "moo moo".

And when he was done, he licked the book. Naturally.

He got a hold of a red marker today while Ethan and I were reading during school. He colored his hands red, and dabbed just a bit of color on his cheeks. (I guess he didn't want to be garish.) I was going to take a picture, but we're trying really hard not to encourage that kind of behavior, especially since I had taken the marker away from him once already this morning.

This morning, Ethan was laying on the floor and Alex was stepping on him. (This is something he delights in doing; he loves rough-housing with Ethan, whether Ethan is participating or not.) I told him not to step on his brother.

So he sat on him. I told him not to touch his brother.

So, he stepped over his head, coming as close to Ethan as possible without actually touching him.

He does this obeying-the-letter-of-the-law game quite often, and I know, this is really just being naughty. But the whole time he's doing it, he's laughing this delighted little chortle and watching me to see what I'm going to do. He has such a playful spirit! Luke and I are trying to figure out where the line is between requiring obedience and not squashing his spirit. Obviously hurting his brother during the game makes that line pretty clear, but when he runs away naked to hide after you take him out of the bathtub, it's not so easy.

It's also pretty hard to keep from laughing at his impish grin when he peeks out at you.

I love this stage, though. And I love knowing that as Alex outgrows this charming, make-everything-a-game, make-my-parents-wonder-what-is-going-on-in-my-head stage, we have another one who will be growing into it.

Growing

In a little more than six more weeks, Benny will be one. Some days (or weeks? or months?) it seemed that time was moving so slowly ... but looking back, I can see how quickly it has flown. The changes in the past month show me that my baby is turning into a toddler, a change that is bringing its own set of challenges.

Benny now has four teeth. Yesterday he took his first steps. He recently weaned himself (Mama wasn't so thrilled with that development), and he's sleeping through the night. Well, almost, but his one waking is around 5:30-6:00. That's close enough to count for me! He can climb up on the couch and chairs by himself, and get back down safely (most of the time).


I look at my sweet boy, and I realize that this challenging time has flown by so quickly and taken with it Benny's babyhood. I know soon he'll be running everywhere, talking up a storm, and growing and changing even more. I see that every day in Alex and Ethan. So just like when he was a baby, I'm trying to savor every moment.

Especially the cuddly, rocking-my-boy-who-still-likes-to-snuggle ones! But even the chaotic, messy, noisy, exasperating ones. Even the ones where I tell Luke I just want life to stop so I can get off for a little while.

Time doesn't wait for mamas to catch their breath, so I've just got to enjoy my little - and not-so-little ones now.