What they are capable of:

I thought I would take a moment and share what my two year olds are capapble of in the amount of time it takes to make mac & cheese. Yep, in the amount of time it took me to boil water, cook noodles, add butter and milk, this is what Eli did.

"I'm confused she seems annoyed and yet she is taking a picture of it?"

I am proud to say that when I asked him if he did it, he clearly said "yes". I guess I am glad that he didn't lie. Thankfully it is washable crayon.

Speaking of what people are capable of I have to take a minute and brag about my husband. I always ask him what he did at work and he continually amazes me with his answers. You see he not only teaches HS social studies, which, in itself is a very noble task but he does maintenance at the church which allows me to stay home with the bubbas, thank you LORD! Anyways, he fixes roofs, digs trenches (something to do with plumbing), fixes play grounds, builds entertainment centers, etc., etc., etc., like I said AMAZING. So what is my point? My point is this week Jared and I had a first together. We completed a curtain. My idea, his handiwork. TADA! We bought a drop cloth and used it to cover our 4 dining room chairs and make this curtain. The grand total for material being $13. We have lived here for 6 years this winter and have never covered the window on our side door until now. I like how it turned out. Thanks, honey!

I have a pic where he is looking at the camera but he was sort of shooting daggers at me with his eyes so I chose the nice one of him working. :)

Ooh and last but not least here is my latest thrift store find for $4.

and VOILA!

I think I will keep the pictures seasonal.

Click on over and get more ideas at Works for Me Wednesday!

A few of my favorite things....

I know the twos are, well, terrible and all but I have to say there is definitely more to it than that AND I find myself thoroughly enjoying this age quite a bit. It's a good mix of sweet and salty (one of my favorite combinations).

We had a good day today and one of the things I am enjoying about them right now is their budding imaginations. They also play independently for much longer periods of time and they say the cutest things. So this post is dedicated to all that is good about being two since this age gets a bad rap.

I actually began taking pictures because seeing them like this took me back a couple of years to THIS picture. My babies! Sniff, Sniff!

They played with these laundry baskets trains and stuffed animals their passengers for OVER an hour. In toddler time that is like 2 days.

They watched a squirrel finish off the pumpkin for a good 20 minutes. Did you notice how chubby our friend the squirrel has gotten. I will take some credit. Thank you very much. :)

They actually do crafts now as opposed to me doing them. I still help A LOT but it is more enjoyable. (Speaking of crafts my favorite preschool blog "No Time For Flashcards" has a holiday gift guide up that has some great book and toy reccomendations on it. I suggested one of the gifts on the "Reader's Favorite's" link. Go check it out. )

And then of course, there are all the funny things that they are saying. I'll be honest it is impossible to keep track of them anymore but here are a few.

1) When we give them apples they say "open it Mama/Daddy". They want us to take a bite and get the apple started.

2) When they are ready to go or want you to follow them into another room they grab you with both their little hands and assist you in standing while saying "step up, step up".

3) Recently when at story time I forgot a diaper. I have NEVER been without back up either in the car or SOMEWHERE. Needless to say I had to be creative when I changed Alex's messy diaper. He could be heard screaming from a bathroom stall "isssssss disssssgussteeeeen, no, isssss dissssgussteen". Not a proud moment.

On a funny note when I got home and told the story to Nanni she said "You should have asked another Mom at story time for a diaper. I am sure they would have had one." She was SO right. Why in the world did that not occur to me. Ugh, sometimes I scare myself.

4) While on a walk recently I pointed out that the stop sign was the shape of an octagon. Now they love to look at street signs and tell their shapes. It just amazes me that all of this sticks in their brains because they are quick to point out every octagon stop sign that we see. I love that their brains are like sponges right now and am trying to teach them lots through play and outings.

I will have to keep this post as a reference point when I have days of longing for kindergarten.

If you are feeling joyful today and would like to share that with others head over to:

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Raiding the refrigerator after bath time. These boys are OBSESSED with YoBaby Yogurt.

Additions to the Alex and Eli Dictionary

"bat yard"~ backyard
This is mentioned each and every time we pull into the driveway. They LOVE their "bat yard" and would live out there if I didn't make them come inside every once in a while.

"I cubba you"

They want you to put their covers on them for nap or bed time. I always say lay down and I'll cover you and I guess that is where the phrase was born.

"hop"~help

Usually repeated over and over until you give them a little bit of assistance.

Alex has started addressing me when he speaks and it melts. my. heart. Example: I love you, Mommy. Thank You, Mommy. I sorry, Mommy.

Eli is constantly curious about the moon's location in the middle of the day. "Where's moon? Where's moon?" Me: It's on the other side of the world right now. "Where's moon?" Me: you can't see it right now honey. "Where's moon? where's moon?" Me: The moon is taking a nap! Would you like to take a nap???

It also amazes me how they look out for one another. I have heard them several times lately ask each other: "You, O.k.?"

Eli also was looking for Alex in the back yard and said "LEX, where are you?" This is a good thing since he has been calling him Li-Li for quite a while now. As I mentioned before that is Eli's nickname and Eli KNOWS Alex's name he just chooses to call Alex by his own nickname.

So I am keeping track of all these things for my boys to see someday. They are probably not exciting for the average reader but this blog is really all about them :) Love you guys!

That's Mommy to you!

The Transition I've Dreaded

Don't worry it is not the binky because that one takes an emotional toll both on Mommy AND Alex so let's move on K? Alright! The transition of which I speak is the one from cribs to big boy beds which at this point is actually the crib with the front off and an added bar. So far it is going well but it is 8:16 and we put them down at 7:40. I will finish this post tomorrow and tell you how the entire night went but I have to say, for the record, that I am betting Jared that it goes well and he says I am delusional. He admits that this bet is one that he hopes I win! Isn't that sweet??? ;)


Well, the boys did quite well last night, as expected. ;) They were wound up from the excitement of a "new, big boy bed" but they relaxed and fell asleep by about 9 without getting out of bed the entire night. I consider this a success and when we went in this morning they were up and babbling but they did not get out of bed once again. Hooray!


Right now they are in bed for naps and have been chatting for about 20-30 minutes. I am not sure if they will relax or not. I may go in and try and calm them but when I did that at the beginning of the nap it seemed they were just set out to defy mommy. In fact, I was tenderly rubbing Eli's head and his blond curls when he kept trying to stick his finger up my nose. This only made me laugh which in turn made them both laugh and on and on it went. I finally decided to let them be silly and come back if it didn't end soon. It's not ending so I will probably head back in there.

These didn't come out very clear but here they are in their big boy beds. This morning they insisted up having their milk in their beds and reading books. So cute!

And here is Alex giving BIG hugs!!!

The Quirkier Side of All Things Two

Chocked Full of:

funny costumes...

funny faces....

wanting to sleep with AS MANY TOYS as Mom and Dad will allow.

This morning I put on music before I woke them. They were in great moods and so was Mommy so we did a little dancing. Needless to say, it led to LOTS of giggles and fun! This is the part of TWO you gotta love!

NYC's cowboy has nothing on Alex

And then there is Eli, below, wearing his "hat". He loves running around like this.

Ahhh, 2 years old......I am going to miss these days.

At TWO....

you already seem to have a strong bond and, as I have mentioned before, Alex has taken on the big (little) brother role. Despite the fact that he is just shy of 24 lbs. and Eli is 28 1/2 lbs. his determination to take care of his (big) little bro is not swayed.

He has been know to bring Eli his milk and pat his back when he cries. He also brings him various things (books, alligator, etc) when Eli is having his diaper changed. Eli is not a fan of slowing down and letting us change him thereby making the task less than enjoyable for Mommy and Daddy.

July 2008 (Alex on the left)

Alex calls Eli~ eye-eye and Eli calls Alex~ eye-eye. Eli completely understands that his name is Eli and Li-Li and that his brother's name is Alex yet he still calls him eye-eye. What a pair, these two.


As always you laugh at each other harder than you laugh at anyone else although sneezes have become absolutely hysterical to both of you. Eli's sneeze impression sounds like I-I-I-choo! Alex's is similar and they are both pretty cute. Daddy is the BEST at the fake sneezes. I think because his are the loudest!

You are starting to enjoy things other than Barney although your palate is limited. They now enjoy Madagascar also. Eli laughs out loud at the penguins slapping each other and the zebra when he makes "toot" noises using his arm pit. Can anyone tell I live in a house full of boys??? Yikes!

I continue to think of things you are up to at two. I will keep your future selfs, who I hope will read this someday, posted! ;) Love you guys!

Alex and Eli their first day home together (July 2007). This is one of the last times Alex was winning the weight game! He is the one on the left with the cheeks :)

More about you being 2

Alex and Eli's 2 Year Old Dictionary

peas~ not the vegetable but this is your version of the word "please"
We encourage you to say this instead of whining for example:

You: cookie, cookie, cookie, cookie! (in your whiniest voice)

Me or Daddy: Stop whining. Now, what do you say?

You: PEAS

I gone getchooo~"I am going to get you!" You say this when you want to be chased.

Luh-lou~ I love you!

I pope~ contrary to what it may seem Alex is not claiming to be the head of the catholic church. This means that he has a present in his diaper for Daddy or Me.

beeps~ grapes. Alex says it this way and it means that he wants grapes. Grapes are their new favorite fruit that they are obsessed with. Recently, while in the grocery store I had a hysterical children screaming for "beeps". (Confession: I actually gave in and gave them some, dirt and all, before paying. Yep, I live life on the edge!)

OK, OK, OK, OK~ Eli repeats this over and over and over to you with his hand out. He is basically rushing you. He wants whatever it is you have and you are not handing it over fast enough.

chaka monkey~ chocolate milky (this is one of my favorites).

Wee-ah-you?~ Where are you?

Bawneee~ Our favorite purple dinosaur.

TB~ not the disease but T.V. meaning TURN IT ON!

Recently, although this has only happened once Eli said to himself, apparently, while in the car with Daddy and Alex. "Eli, you are so funny!" Confidence is not an issue with this one!

You are saying a lot of other words some more clear than others but these are the ones that stand out at the moment. Well, these along with Wassat? and Whossat? which I mentioned previously.

HELP: If anyone know why the spacing gets screwed up when I post I would appreciate some info. It is driving me CRAZY and I go back and fix it only to find when I publish that it is jacked up again. Thanks!

Kisses

The boys have begun to give each other kisses on a consistent basis. It is adorable and melts my heart. We have to remind Eli to be gentle as you can probably see as he looks like he is going in for the kill. Unfortunately, there is not a gentle bone in Eli's body at this point. He tries and he has a sweet demeanor but it doesn't match up with his ability to be gentle with his brother. He steps on him on a regular basis and pulls him "gently" (by the collar of his shirt) out of the way when he is being bothered by his brother's presence. Alex tends to shrug it off and is rarely hurt by his brother's antics.

Something else they are doing at two!

Whassat?

My one year olds last year 4-18-08

Translation of my title: What's that?

Description: twin boys with one finger each pointed at anything and everything asking "whassat?" This is also asked whenever their is a sound within a 10 mile radius.

This was ADORABLE at first but then you try and read them a book and are interrupted regularly with the same question. Being a patient mommy I answer THAT is a: star, grass, moon, girl, boy, tree, duck, bird, mommy, daddy, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit (they point to the same thing over and over and over and over). I think you get the picture and that is what fills mine and Jared's day. We no longer have what some might call "free time" we are now the answerer's to the question WHAT IS THAT? It consumer our lives. :)

Another fun one is "Who'sAT?" This becomes the most fun in the line at IKEA when they are pointing at strangers and saying "whosat?, whosat?" My response: "I don't know honey, I don't know, idon'tknowidon'tknowidon'tknowidon'tknowidon'tknow". Some strangers smile and are cordial and some are WAY to cool to utter a word. It is actually those people that I torture by allowing the boys to continue pointing and asking . Evil, I know, and I am partially kidding but I do have to laugh when people become uncomfortable with a child and their child-like ways. It is too funny.

Wow, spell check had a field day with this post.

So that is a little about who the boys are at 2! More to come....

It's official

they turned 2 on Saturday! We started their b-day by waking them singing "Happy B-day to You" and by the time we sang it again at nap they were singing along. We then got them ready, fed them, etc. and went to a new park that we LOVE. We headed home for a LONG nap and the boys woke up to some balloons and new plastic reptiles. As my sister Missy said "boys are so easy". They were thrilled with their balloons that is for sure and they love hissing like snakes too.



As you may recall we had their b-day bash a couple of weeks ago and gave them their presents then. Since the party Daddy made the boys a train table for their new trains and that was also one of their presents. I must say I am so impressed with my husbands skills. He continually amazes me. Me, Daddy and the boys then headed off to Ikea for some "necessities" and then they had their B-day dinner at the pizzeria that our friends own. They loved their day that is for sure and Mommy and Daddy loved sharing it with them.

Here is the table. The top is in two pieces and is removable to store all their trains and cars.

They are doing a million new things and I plan to post more about that in the future but here are pics from their official b-day.

A Very Merry Un-Birthday to You!

In the words of Alice in Wonderland the boys had their UN-Birthday on Saturday. It was A LOT of fun! We had a small get together with Jared's side of the family because Jared's parents, aka Nani and Papa, are going to Colorado for a month to stay with Steve and his family. I figured since the boys don't understand when their actual birthday is yet it would be safe to have it a couple of weeks early. Needless to say they were spoiled rotten. They got tricycles, train sets, books, Barney stuffed animals (that sing "I love You" and wake you up first thing on a Sunday morning, not that I am complaining about being woke up by our dear purple friend, no, not me) and on and on goes the list of their toys. They had an absolute blast which began after their nap when they woke up to balloons in the front room with a birthday banner. I truly know they would have been happy with just the balloons and everyone would have saved a lot of money but it was a joy to watch them just enjoy the love that their family showed to them. They brought smiles to every ones lips and enjoyed doing it. Eli was determined to be the entertainer in the middle of the room sporting his sunglasses and clapping his hands while Alex melted hearts with his hugs and kisses for Barney.

Jared and I continue to feel a bit emotional around their birthday. OK mainly me but he feels nostalgic and deeply blessed to have our boys. I just sat and watched their wonder at all that was going on around them and drank it in. It was truly intoxicating and I will not soon forget the fun that was had. I actually spoke with our "NICU friends" this week who lost one of their twins while the boys were there. It was a nice conversation and we spoke of our children's upcoming 2nd birthday and what a blessing it was that they were here and doing well developmentally but of course she and her husband feel their loss of their sweet girl very deeply along with the joy they feel for their living child. It is odd to say how blessed we are when I know that the same God blesses them but still chose to take one of their babies home. It is not something I understand but as Alex and Eli approach another year on this earth I am thankful for their lives, their health and their presence in our lives. At the same time I think that their sweet little girl is at home with her heavenly Father and that brings some understanding. She will never again know fear, hurt, pain. She will not know the ugliness of this world that can so often disappoint. I just know that my God is good and that what he does is best for us even when we don't get it and in that I take comfort.

So Happy Un-birthday boys, Mommy and Daddy love you and you have brought us more joy than we can take in at times. As you would say "luh-loo".