More of This and That...

These boys are so fun. I'm always afraid I'm going to forget something they do that makes me smile. I know the crazy things they do won't last forever, so I'm doing my best to capture fleeting moments with my camera. Good shots or not, at least they're there. It's so funny how I look back at some of these already, and I know I was stressed out or irritated, but looking at these pictures I just have to smile and laugh and feel thankful that the moment happened at all. Ah, perspective.

Beckett is an interesting eater. He eats LOTS at breakfast. An adult size portion of oatmeal, a whole banana, milk, and that handful of Kix I toss on his tray to appease him while I am frantically getting everything else ready. This picture is a common scene at lunch time. For some reason he feels a need to douse and smear himself with whatever it is he's eating. I think this particular time it was Chicken Noodle soup. And I promise I didn't even give him the actual liquid-y soup part. Eek. Not pretty. But he was so happy.

Asher has seen his Daddy checking out these maps lately. A couple weeks back I found him perusing a map on the window seat. He was showing me all sorts of roads and has big plans in store. Kinda cute.

Beck sure does love cars. He even makes the little noises when he drives them around. How do little boys just know how to do that? Something in their genes, no doubt. And yes, this is another pic of him donning his favorite glasses, car in hand.

Beckett also loves balls. He gets very excited, squeals for joy and grabs a hold when he sees one. This one took a beating. I found him with a pile of bitten off pieces. He wasn't eating it, just tasting it, and spitting it out, hoping it would get better with each new bite. Asher was sad. Honestly, I've been saving this ball from just this situation for weeks now. It was an accident waiting to happen.

My boys and their "buddies." I wish I could remember when we started calling them that. Asher's brood has gotten a little out of hand. I know I've written about them before, but his pile of stuffed animals is SO big, and he always seems to know when one is missing. He sleeps with them nestled around him. Corey told me the other day he remembers doing that with things when he was little...he says it made him feel safe. I bet all those buddies are protecting him from the ducks that come in through the window (hehehehe...see the post on 'Fears and Funnies').
What's a little crazy is that he comes into my room in the morning carrying them, all of them. I can't even see his face half of the time, and I have no idea how he manages to bring them all along in such a sleepy state. It's truly a feat of dexterity and concentration!

Beckett has taken to a soft, blue bunny. Ironically it was the first thing ever given to Asher....it was a gift for him from my little sister Kayla. Beck LOVES that thing. He slept with a Glo-Worm for a little while, but the bunny rules supreme. He calls it "Bu-Bu", and when I lay him down to sleep at night I hand it to him, he clutches it, smiles, rolls onto his tummy and falls asleep. Last night I didn't have it with me when I put him down and it was disastrous. He laid there, looked all around, then simply said, "Bu-Bu." I hurried out of the room, grabbed that bunny and returned to find Beckett standing up, screaming with tears rolling down his face. That bunny made everything better.

Last weekend, our ward held a primary activity. The kids checked in and were "called" on missions (Ash went to Russia). It was pretty darn cute and the Primary presidency did a fabulous job, I thought. Here is my future missionary proud as can be. He looks so grown up in this picture! They even practiced knocking doors, too cute. He had a great time. I, by the way, will need the next 15 years just to prepare myself to mentally prep myself for letting him leave on a mission. Oh boy.

Whirly, Curly Mullet and First Steps.

Baby hair: it's fine, feathery, whispy, sweet and well...babyish. Which is the exact reason why it's I've been putting off snipping Beckett's lengthy locks. The hair in front is stick straight and starting to drift into his eyes, and the hair in the back is beginning to curl at his neck. It's a mess, really. And so, I think it's time for the mullet to go. I know it's time, but ah, those little curls at the back are so sweet. Maybe I'll cut it, um.....tomorrow.

A week and a half ago, he had a big milestone day! Beckett, who has gotten very adept at standing for little stretches of time, decided to go out on a limb and move forward. He took two very slow, very careful steps, then slowly sat down. Yeah! Good job little B! After that I caught him trying it out a few more times. My little ground-dweller is growing up. No more baby kneeling at my feet with his arms outstretched, begging me to hold him. He will be walking soon, even running! The true upside of walking is that he'll be up and off the floor, which is never really perfectly clean, is it? Then there's church. Ew. I know they vacuum every week, but the dark and dirty fingers and nails on Beckett makes me wonder when the last time it was those carpets were actually cleaned. Of course, all he wants to do is move, so walking the halls, holding him for hours straight at this age is not an option, so onto the dirty floors he crawls. Those days are numbered and my baby is growing up. He's now doing 10-12 steps at a time! Sheesh!

Beckett cruising around with his "walker." Ah, independence. I'll post some pics soon of the newly independent Beckett:)

A little P.S.:
Asher had an appointment last week to get a renal ultrasound. Long story short, we were having him checked to be sure he doesn't have a kidney issue Beck has. He was SO excited to go, talking about it, looking forward to it. It was really funny. And he was very still and such a good boy when the tech performed the ultrasound. She said she'd never seen a kid who was happy to be there before. Leave it to Ash to be the first. The elevators still offer the biggest draw though, and in the end I think that was the reason for his stellar behavior. After we came home that day, he built a hospital out of Legos, in honor of our little visit. Asher thinks the hospital is a place to go and have fun...I guess I won't shatter the dream:)

Funnies and Fears

Lately I feel so bad that I haven't written down all the fun things the boys do. So, here are a few I'd like to remember and maybe even tease them about later.

Beckett is still very much a ground dweller, crawling his way through the world. He loves to stand for 10-15 seconds at a time on his own, but has no desire to move his feet which, really is fine by me. In his travels, he usually likes to have a toy in one hand, usually in the form of a car, a plastic doughnut, or his glasses. Of course he doesn't actually wear glasses, but he does wear Mr. Potato Head's glasses. You know, the tiny plastic yellow ones that only fit onto Mr. Potato Head. Beck loves them. He loves for you to put them on him. It is so funny, and it makes him so happy. It'll be a sad day indeed when we can't stretch them out and squeeze them on. We'll just have to find him a larger pair.

Asher is, as always, hilarious. One of his favorite movies is Babe (the pig). In this movie, Babe has a particular duck friend named Ferdinand. Now, for some odd reason ever since he started watching this movie last spring, he's had a fear of ducks. Not the real ones, but the other kind. He is petrified of the "ducks that come through the window." What? Seriously though, once nighttime comes, he won't go near a window with open blinds or curtains, particularly in his bedroom or in the bathroom. He tells us that the ducks will come in the windows, and get him. He is genuinely afraid of those ducks. Poor kid.
Then there's the butterflies. At night (always at night, right?) he tells me and Corey that the butterflies will get him. We can't totally trace the roots of this one, but we think it might be moths. Last summer, for some reason moths would sometimes come in through his heating vent. He'd run to us making crazy claims of butterflies in his room after we'd put him to sleep. We just figured he was trying to stay up longer, until we realized (more than once) that he was telling the truth, and that there were actually moths hiding up on the ledge in his bedroom sometimes. Creepy! I can hardly blame him, but to hear him talk about those scary butterflies is kind of funny.
Maybe there's something to all things that fly. Who knows?
I sure do love these boys.

I had to post a couple of pics of cute Beckett in this adorable hat. It's Asher's size, but I can't resist sticking it on lil' Beck. I'm just gonna have to get another one I guess. A friend of mine, Adrienne makes and sells them on Etsy. Her hats are SO cute. She is one amazing crocheter! Check out her shop.

A few things I've learned as a Mom...at least so far.

1. Hot glue guns and/or packing tape can fix anything.
2. If it looks like poop, it probably is.
3. A clean floor is really just a dirty floor waiting to happen.
4. A clean house is really just a messy house waiting to happen.
5. Dry clean only = sits in your closet, never to be worn.
6. I was an amazing, perfect mom...before I had kids.
7. I remember thinking, "I'll never do that..." I've surely done it.
8. My kids look positively angelic when they're asleep.
9. I was never so acutely aware of my own faults and weaknesses as I am now that I have children.
10. Your baby is always sitting on half of the food you thought he ate.
11. Every toy in the world takes batteries. I should have bought stock in Duracell.
12. The grocery store can bring out the worst in your kids.
13. Garbage Day is the most exciting day of the week, hands down.
14. It is instinctual for children to yell, "YOU'RE HURTING ME!!" loudly as you try to quietly discipline them in public.
15. Wipies rock. Not sure I can ever live without them.
16. Being a mom really is the BEST job in the world. And the hardest.
17. Just when you think your kid is potty trained for good, they start having ridiculous mishaps.
18. My husband is a super fun, interactive, involved and loving daddy. Who knew he'd be so great?
19. Most 'owies' can be fixed with a kiss and a hug from mom. Pure magic:)
20. I will never know it all as hard as I try;)   

You Can Say That Again

 

My boy Asher has the most amazing memory, and I can't help but be baffled by some of the things he comes up with.  Here are a few of the things he's wowed us with lately....


1. Cell phone numbers.  He somehow remembers Corey's, and mine, as well as our home number.  Good boy!

2.  Our address.  Yes, a necessary bit of information for a kiddo to recite, but I'm not sure how many 4 year olds know it so well.

3.  Songs from toys.  Okay, so this is not such pertinent info, but he knows them none the less. 

4.  Entire books.  We read a lot, and so you'd expect some memory to kick in, but we are talking about some long books like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and at 2 years old, I could stop anywhere in The Polar Express and he'd finish the page.  He knew the whole thing.  He'll memorize books from the library after a week of occasional reading.  I'll stop anywhere in the book, and he can fill in the rest.  What a fun little game.

5.  Commercials.  This often comes up while I'm grocery shopping.  While walking down a grocery isle, Asher will see a product and start telling me the 3 benefits of toddler milk, or why Neutrogena is beneficial for my skin, or how chlorox wipes will clean and disinfect my kitchen, or that Dannon yogurt is creamy and delicious.  I could go on and on.  I have my very own walking advertisement.  It's absolutely hilarious:)

Oh, how I love this boy, and his amazing little mind. 

Baby B Turns One!

Ah, seriously? Has it been a whole year already? I cannot believe my baby is one. I have had mixed emotions about his birthday for a little while now. I'm excited because there are so many fun things coming up...walking, talking, all of it! But I'm a little sad, because he's not my little baby anymore.

My attempt at a banana shaped cake.

Our little family party(just the four of us...and my parents on webcam) was fun. We snagged some Curious George stuff at the party store and it didn't disappoint. Beckett loved all the monkey decor, and seemed to know the night was his. I am convinced however, that with a one year old it is ALL about cake and balloons. In fact, I think until they are around three, you could probably focus on that and be good to go...cake and balloons. Ta-da. Done.

Asher's cake approach at one was a semi-face plant in the side of the cake and to stay put until he'd had his fill. So funny. Beckett's approach was also very interesting. He ate straight through the center of the cake, literally. The edges of the cake were untouched until that was all that was left. And he wanted to eat it all, and would have no problem if we hadn't taken it away. The balloons were a hit too. He couldn't stop playing with them, and that huge George mylar one is still drifting around our house bringing smiles. I love one-year old birthdays! They are just the best.

Some fun facts about our Beck:

• Although he is now squirming out of my arms, demanding and asserting his independence, he has been such a snuggle bug! It's been so nice to have a cuddly baby.
• Baby Bucket, Booda-Booda, Beck, B-man, Beckett....all nicknames over the past year.
  
• He is very passionate about his food. He knows what he wants and will scream at you until you get it right. And don't even think about trying to ignore him...the screaming is VERY persistent.
  
• Again, a very passionate eater. Say for example I start putting some Cheerios on his tray...Beckett descends upon the food and starts putting into his mouth double fisted. It's madness. If he's really excited he does this sound that almost sounds like he's purring. Still need to get that on video!
• He's always been pretty vocal. From the beginning. He's saying Mama, Da, and Do (dog). He is fascinated by Dion.
  
• Until recently he was still waking up once a night, taking full advantage of my laziness. I finally put my foot down a few weeks before he turned one. It took 3 nights of some extremely persistent and furious screaming, but now we are all sleeping through the night. Hallelujah!(Except I'm still feeling a little guilty,... but only a little)
• He love, love, loves his brother. Those two start laughing at each other and it's over...they seem to totally get one another. Do kids have inside jokes already? Oh boy.
• He adores his glow worm. He sucks on his face, smiles and loves the music. So cute.
• He said mama first:)
• He has pretty much caught up! After being nearly 2 months premature, I am happy, and relieved to say he's doing great. Bringing him home on Oxygen was a real bummer, and we had so many worries in the beginning. What a trooper. What a brave little boy. We feel so blessed that everything has gone well. Our Beckett is sure a sweetie, and is adding even more of that happy-go-lucky, fun-loving, roudy energy we are used too. He was definitely sent to the right place, and we love him so, so much.

Happy Birthday Beckett! We sure love you B!!

Asher turns 4!

How can another year have gone by so fast? Asher turned four years old, and he is thrilled about it. He's been talking about turning four for a couple of months at least, and his request that night was to have a '4' on his hat. He was just so proud. We celebrated with the family while we were visiting up there for the holiday. With a birthday that's three days after Christmas, its nice to have some family around to help make it extra special. I know he loves it. The cake process was a little last minute since we'd only been in town day or two. He picked a Blue's Clues cake, which surprised me since he's been so into trains, animals, etc. But, Blue it was and it was perfect! It was the first year he's really anticipated his birthday, which made it more exciting. Happy 4th Birthday Ash! We love you SO much.

A few fun things about Asher:

We are so proud of him. He's an amazing older brother to Beckett, and has lately even started building towers for him to knock down. It's so great to see them interact well together, and I know that Asher is the key to making that happen. They already seem to have 'inside' jokes!

He is a sentimental kid. When people give him things, he often remembers, and those things mean something to him. He sleeps with a slew of "buddies" now, and they have all been given to him by someone special. The buddies currently include a flashlight, 6 or 7 stuffed animals, a little Santa in an airplane with a fan for a propeller and sometimes a book or two...and he takes inventory every night, if one is missing, he knows it.

He is a friend to all. He loves people. And he calls everyone a friend. There was a period when he literally called any kid he saw a "friend" (ie....we were at the mall, and another kid walks by...Asher says, "look mom, there's a friend!"). He'll still fight for a coveted toy, just like any other kid his age, but he really does seem to be accepting of others.

He can be very sweet. Other moms (my own included) have told me how little boys love their moms and will say the sweetest things. Until recently, I hadn't experienced it for myself. He will compliment me on everything from my glasses to my shirt. "Mommy", he says, "your eyes are beautiful." Wow, keep em' coming, I think to myself!


He is an excellent negotiator. He can be convincingly clever with his words when he wants something. He won't come right out and ask if he can have something, but if YOU would like something, and that he'd like to share. For example, if he wants some M&M's he'll ask if you want some first, then if you want to share some. He smooths over his demands with words that make you think he's doing you a favor. Are they supposed to be so clever at 4?

He loves to learn. He's always building things, killing me with questions on how things work and loves to learn words (to read). He masters puzzles, and loves to play games. Don't get me started on his obsession with replacing batteries in toys, and finding out where all the dead lightbulbs in the universe are (because he sees them all). He pays attention to little things, which I find fascinating since I don't always do that myself! Everything is a chance to learn something, and I am constantly impressed with how little minds work in such a big way.

We are so proud of our big boy, and love him so much. Happy Birthday A-Man!